Web Design Layouts

[webguru]

As a Web Designer, one of the most important responsibilities is to design websites with accessibility in mind -- meaning the design should accommodate different types of browsers and screen sizes.

Web Page Layout
There are three main layout structures, each with their individual advantages and disadvantages.

1. Left-aligned Fixed-Width - The main advantage to this layout format is that content position remains static regardless of the browser window size. Text and images will not shift when the browser window size is adjusted. The disadvantage in using this layout structure is that not all of the browser space may be used when viewing in larger screen sizes.
   
2. Center-aligned Fixed Width - This layout structure is very similar to the previous layout structure. The only difference is that the content will be center-aligned. The benefits and disadvantages are the same as the previous layout. One slight improvement in this design over the previous is the perceived "wasted browser space" will appear to be less.
   
3. 100% Width - As you can probably deduce, the main advantage in using this layout structure is that content will occupy 100% of the browser space regardless of browser window size. And correspondingly, the main drawback is that content layout will shift when viewing or adjusting in different window sizes.

Web Page Widths
When using fixed width layout structures, you should consider the different types of browsers and screen sizes. To accommodate all possibilities, I recommend using a maximum screen width of 750 pixels.

For 100% width layout structures, you have to do the reverse, which is set a minimum screen width of 750 pixels.