Abstract
Web design plays a pivotal role in online marketing, combining aesthetic and technical considerations to enhance user experience and engagement. This paper explores foundational web design concepts through a practical example of a basic HTML and CSS layout, emphasizing the importance of semantic structuring, the box model, and responsive design principles. The study highlights the role of these elements in creating effective and accessible websites adaptable to various devices. Limitations include the scope of detailed technical implementation and testing on diverse platforms, suggesting areas for future research.
Introduction
Web design forms the cornerstone of modern online marketing strategies, facilitating user engagement and improving navigational efficiency. This paper aims to elucidate key web design concepts by examining a practical example of a basic HTML and CSS layout. The study focuses on the Gestaltungsraster (design grid), semantic HTML5 tags, and responsive design techniques, underscoring their relevance in creating accessible and scalable websites.
Prior research emphasizes the importance of web design in user experience and search engine optimization. This study contributes by demonstrating practical applications of these principles through an accessible coding example.
Literature Review
Effective web design incorporates usability, aesthetics, and functionality. Semantic HTML5 tags enhance accessibility by improving the structure and clarity of web pages, as highlighted in studies on web accessibility for visually impaired users. Responsive design, facilitated by CSS media queries, ensures adaptability across devices, a factor critical for user retention. Research on the box model underscores its significance in precise element positioning and spacing, providing a foundation for cohesive layouts.
Research Question
- How can foundational web design principles, including semantic structuring, the box model, and responsive design, be effectively implemented in a basic web layout?
Materials and Methods
Materials:
- HTML Code: Demonstrates a semantic structure using <header>, <section>, <article>, <footer>, and <nav>tags.
- CSS Stylesheet: Implements the box model, Gestaltungsraster, and media queries to ensure responsiveness.
Methods:
The study involves the creation of a basic website layout. HTML and CSS codes are written to exemplify semantic structuring and responsive design. The layout’s performance is tested across devices with varying screen sizes to evaluate responsiveness.
Results
The HTML and CSS layout successfully implemented a semantic structure, as shown in the code snippets below:
HTML Sourcecode
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <title>Basic Website Layout</title> </head> <body> <h1>Basic Layout</h1> <div class="wrapper"> <header> <div class="column span_2">Logo</div> <nav class="column span_4">Navigation</nav> </header> <section> <article class="column span_6">Teaser</article> </section> <footer> <section class="column span_6">Footer</section> </footer> </div> </body> </html>
CSS
/* 48fps */
/* CSS BOX MODELL */
*, *:before, *:after {
-moz-box-sizing: border-box;
-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
html {
font: 100%/1.5 Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
margin-top: 1rem;
}
h1{
text-align: center;
margin-top: 100px;
}
h2{
color: #222;
font-size: 1.3rem;
letter-spacing: 2px;
}
/* RASTER */
.wrapper {
margin: 0 auto;
max-width: 1200px;
text-align: center;
padding-top: 1rem;
}
.row {
background: #ddd;
margin-bottom: 25px;
}
.draft .row{
background: none;
}
.column{
float: left;
padding-left: 1%;
padding-right: 1%;
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
.column span{
background: #ff4040;
display: block;
padding: 2rem;
color: #fff;
font-weight: bold;
}
/* Columns */
.span_1 {
width:16.6666666667%;
}
.span_2 {
width:33.333333333333%;
}
.span_3 {
width:50.0%;
}
.span_4 {
width:66.6666666667%;
}
.span_5 {
width:83.3333333333%;
}
.span_6 {
width:100%;
}
/* MEDIA QUERIES */
@media screen and (max-width: 800px){
.span_1, .span_2, .span_3, .span_4, .span_5, .span_6 {
width: 100%;
}
}
These snippets emphasize structured content presentation and responsive adaptability, essential for modern web design.
Discussion
The results demonstrate the practical application of fundamental web design principles. The semantic HTML5 tags ensure clarity and enhance accessibility, critical for SEO and compliance with accessibility standards. The CSS box model and Gestaltungsraster provide consistency in layout, aiding user navigation. Media queries facilitate responsiveness, crucial for maintaining functionality across various devices.
Limitations
This study focuses on a static layout without dynamic content integration. Testing was limited to a controlled set of devices, leaving room for evaluating performance in more diverse contexts.
Conclusion
This study underscores the importance of semantic structuring, the box model, and responsive design in modern web design. The example layout serves as a foundation for developing accessible and responsive websites, aligning with current industry standards. Future research could explore dynamic content integration and advanced responsiveness techniques.
Literature Cited
