More Web Design Concepts

Repetition

Repetition is not only saying the same thing several times to get a point across. It is also the use of a consistent theme throughout a Web site. While all the pages on a Web site do not have to be exactly the same, there should be enough similarities to create a consistent look and feel to the site. This consistency is one of the things that help make a site easy to navigate.

The Contact Us page in the illustration on the right has several differences over the previous page. The camera logo is smaller, the header text is higher and smaller, there is a page label in the upper right hand corner, and there is a drawing instead of a photograph.

But, the basic design elements repeat, thus giving the page a familiar appearance and feel. The camera logo and it's position repeat, the navigation repeats, the position of the image is the same as on the home page. Although this is a different page, there is a strong sense of familiarity.

Contrast

Contrast works in several different ways. Perhaps the most obvious example of contrast is the color of text against a background. It is much easier to read text that contrasts highly with the background.

However, contrast can also include all sorts of differences between elements. Under some circumstances, contrast is used to make something different so that it stands out. This helps to indicate what is important.