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Good design combines form and function, and takes some planning. If you've ever "surfed the Web," you've probably come across some great-looking websites, and many more horrible ones. Here are five basic steps to take if you want your web site to avoid being grouped among the latter, and stand out from the former.

1. CHOOSE A COLOR PALETTE. There are 256 "web-safe" colors. Don't use all of them. Don't even use a third of them. Pick two or three (maybe four) colors that go well together and build the elements of your website using them. Be aware that it is much easier on the eyes to view dark text on a light background than it is to read light text on a dark background.

2. SKETCH OUT SOME DESIGN CONCEPTS. It's a good idea to grab a pencil and some paper, sit down, and draw what you want your website to look like before you even start building it on your computer. Try a handful of different layouts. Remember to make it easy to navigate as well as visually appealing. Common elements of a web page include a banner, navigation menus (many sites provide more than one way to get around), and a content area for images and text.

3. MAP OUT YOUR WEBSITE. Similar to step 2, create an organizational chart that shows the links between the different pages of your website. Start with the home page that everyone will land on first and draw lines showing connections to child and sibling pages. This will help when it comes time to create the navigation menus.

4. GET INSPIRED. If you're having a hard time coming up with a color palette or design concept, feel free to borrow from websites you've visited that have features you like. Most browsers have the option of letting you view the source code behind the page. This makes it easy to copy and paste the code that they use.

5. DECIDE BETWEEN USING HTML OR A "SITE BUILDER." There are pros and cons for both options. A site builder or WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor eliminates the need to learn HTML, but can limit your control over the look of the site. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a simple formatting language that can be picked up pretty quickly. Working directly with the code behind the website gives you a lot of control and flexibility, and only requires a text editor like Notepad.

These five steps give you a great headstart on designing your website. Don't feel like the decisions you've made are set in stone, however. If things aren't working out as you sit down at the computer and start building, or if you come up with an even better idea, go ahead and make a change. It's your website; how it's designed is up to you.

Learn more about this author, Kameron M. Franklin.
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