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Valuable Screen Real-estate, How do you design for it?

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 3:45 pm
by onefocus99
The default that everyone is suppose to design for is:
800 x 600
but if you only design for that size then there is about
218 x 145 of the screen that is wasted on a 1024 x 768 or larger.

I say that because some do not like to scroll or find it confusing because they are new to the internet.
Even still, about 218 of the screen is wasted. I'm not saying space is bad, in fact when advertising space is a good thing.

But again, I guess that depends on the amount of material that needs to be displayed and who the targeted audience is.
In-other-words, you know that everyone has a 1024 x 768 right?

So I was wondering, how does everyone design for different sizes?
I was also wondering, what does everyone else use for there screen size?
I have 2 monitors at the same time. 1024 x 768 as my main one and 800 x 600 on the right as a supplement for testing and reading instructions or just dragging something off my main screen.

I guess I'm just getting real-pixelated over this real-estate screen stuff, just wondering what everyone thought, thats all. May be I should start thinking vector instead of pixel :lol: .

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 4:34 pm
by spectre013
I use a program called Window Sizer that allows me to make any window any size that I want.

As for what I design for, it really depends on the project. Some I do that flow to the window size and others I hard code to a specific width really just depends on the project and the audience.

My main site is a newspaper and for that we design to the lower end due to the level of knowledge of our average readers. Other sites we have went as large as 1024x768.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:14 pm
by uberpolak
I try to make my layouts as liquid as possible, and use percentages and ems whenever it's feasible. If something doesn't work at 800x600 I change it. Perhaps this should be in Client Side or Misc?

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:32 pm
by Nay
God, isn't there a vote for 1600 x 1200 <_<. Linux can handle much bigger screen resolutions than window for me. I work with 1600 x 1200 then at Windows, the maximum for me is 1280 x 1024. Grr.

Anyhow, I let me friends do the looking :lol: hehh. I know who runs what resolution 8).

-Nay

Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:54 pm
by onefocus99
The reason I asked is because I came up with an idea.
Design for 800 x 600 but because there might be about 218 of the screen sort of wasted on a larger screen size,
test for screen size in the header with javascript on the client side of course and then if it's true that the screen is bigger, include more info:

<script language=javascript TYPE="TEXT/JAVASCRIPT">
if(thesize)
{
document.write("<div class=rightnav>");

document.write("Well hellooo - to the wide screen!");
document.write("<iframe name=rightside width=206 height=501 src=about/extra-info.php");
document.write("</iframe>");

document.write("</div>");
}
</script>

That valuable space is then used if the client has space for it.
Then have a link to the same info on the left side if they have a smaller screen size.

BTW @spectre013
you mentioned a program called Window Sizer
where did you get it?

Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 5:25 am
by mchaggis
I tend to design for screen res of 800x600, which is the maximum my laptop can go, however, using other machines I make sure it looks good under other screen res's.

218 can be hidden quite well if you spread it out. I tend to use a static size of between 150 and 200 for a menu bar don the side and then width="100%" for the content page.
I also use style="width: 100%" for some input/select and textarea tags so forms look ok.

I never design for 1600 x 1200 or larger because frankly my monitor isn't big enough and my eye sight is to poor for a screen res ofthat size, and I work on the assumption that the avg monitor size is 17"

The problems I face are when you come to image galleries, and how small to make the thumb nails and how many images x how many images to display on a page.

And what about smaller screen res's the sort that are used on PDA's?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 3:13 am
by twigletmac
Percentage widths, user can choose how wide (or narrow) they want the page to be.

Mac

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:25 am
by Draco_03
So the website can be seen by every one.. i always used 752x450 (800x600 compatible IE/NS PC/MAC) and i always get it so the design just doesn t stop if you have higher resolution (i myself use always over 1280x1024) but the reality is that most people use the default resolution (they never changed it due tolacked the knowledge or cuz they like it.. wich i doubt ;))

it all depend on the project that s true but you can always do your site in 800x600 and it still could look really cool on a larger resolution...

find some attractive way to present it...

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:53 am
by JayBird
Draco_03 wrote:So the website can be seen by every one.. i always used 752x450 (800x600 compatible IE/NS PC/MAC)...
Not always true, there are other things to consider, like MS Office toolbars which take up space, and some people have their task bars larger than the rest of us...like my boss.

Mark

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:50 pm
by Draco_03
@Bech100
yeah your right.. i didn t express ,myself correctly

i meant : NS/IE PC/MAC full sized and with no "optional" add-ons

:)

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:06 pm
by maniac9
I think draco has the best idea with that...

..my personal opinion is that people who run at odd resolutions or with tons of abnormal bars are used to seeing pages weird, so it shouldn't be a problem for them.