A few months ago cxpartners published a guideline summarizing an eye tracking summary of website forms. They studied the manner in which the eyes of those filling out registration forms online wandered over the form.  The study was based on research of signup forms for 4 major websites, hotmail, Yahoo!, eBay and of course Gmail. While the findings of this study may not stand up in a court of law, these guidelines describe a certain method of conceiving web design that relates to general web design and may serve as good reference as you design your own free Flash templates. Here is a taste of the guidelines:

1. Using simple and prevalent vertical layouts and label the different sections clearly, preferably above.
2. To emphasize the labels even more, make them bold. It is also recommended to align them to the left as much as possible.
3. If you include more than one set of information on a page area, make sure the design is unified. It should look like one piece of information to avoid overloading the eyes.
4. Section headings should be emphasized using colors, shading, spacing etc. This is assuming you want people to read them.
5. Try to think of each page as a single message and avoid including unnecessary information. Minimalism is the best way of controlling the information delivered.
6. Use a single field for numerical inputs, such as postal codes, phone numbers etc.
7. Make sure the instructions are clear and the important information stands out and grabs the visitor’s eyes. This is particularly relevant to general web design as well as web form design.
8. Label clearly. If you have a button make sure the instructions are clearly labeled.

Consider this information as delineating some of the differences between regular graphic design and web design. The process of making your web designs both attractive and improving its functionality while considering your website’s visitor’s needs and habits. This does not mean you cannot stray and be creative, but it’s always good to know and understand the rules before you break them.

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