Use Web Graphics and Color Wisely
When designing your Web site, you can make a significant impression by deftly using graphics and color. Authoring programs such as Microsoft Front Page come with a number of themed corporate page sets that can help.
If you're more courageous and plan on doing your own coloring, pick colors that make sense and don't offend. Companies designing sites for an international audience especially must remember that colors, symbols and other graphic nuances have different meanings in different cultures, says Paul Fox, vice president of engineering at Excel Translations (www.xltrans.com), a business that specializes in Web-site localization.
Once you've leapt the cultural sensitivity hurdles, bring in an industrial-strength graphics program for your images, such as Adobe Photoshop ($468; www.adobe.com). The program may be a little pricey for some, but it's considered the industry standard by Web graphics professionals. A less costly alternative is Ulead's PhotoImpact ($90; www.ulead.com), which has fewer features but regularly garners rave reviews in the PC press.
—Joe Dysart, Internet consultant and writer
- Companies:
- Microsoft Corp.
- People:
- Joe Dysart
- Paul Fox
