General

The presentation of the information on a website is very important for users to understand how it functions and where different types of information and objects are placed.

• It is therefore a must to preserve a consistent layout across the website, based on a clear grid system. The placement of the menu for instance, must be the same throughout.
• Pages with similar type of content should be based on the same template to unify the overall structure and orient the user to the position of the information.
• The display of the content should be within the screen size but most important elements and information should be noticeable in the first 450 pixels of the screen (vertically) and should not fall below the fold with a scroll. Other information may be reached by scrolling (if the page is a content page) but the scroll level should not exceed the 1000 pixels limit.
• There should be a clear focus on the essential elements of the page in order for the user to be guided to them naturally and not get distracted by flashing elements.
• If a type of information can be put together in a group, it should have a specific visual component, which is clearly noticeable. This makes it easier for the user to understand what areas contain navigation and which ones present content.
• Pages must not be cluttered with excess items as it leads to poor performance in finding the main information.
• The general page layout should be decent regardless of window sizes and screen resolution. While liquid layout may be used (flexible width that adapts to the browser’ window dimensions), we recommend a fixed layout to avoid long rows of text for users with large screens. Having text that stretches from one end of the screen to the other defies readability principles and tends to be exasperating for the eye. A good column width is 70 characters with spaces.
• A layout must be consistent in all languages. In the case of Arabic, where the information is laid from right to left, the layout must be mirrored accordingly without losing the grid structure and any important features or information.