Re: Fluid design ... always?
At 09:57 PM 12/19/2005, Geoff Purchase wrote:A fluid design with the correct font choice enables me to size my window *and* the content in that window. When I need to look at multiple specifications while writing I can see all the content I need. When a fixed width and/or fixed font is used I have to keep swapping between active windows. Across my two monitors at the moment I can see content in five windows. If both specifications were fixed width/font (or PDF) I'd probably print one, and that just seems like a waste of paper to me.
Kate wrote:
But, one thing many clients utterly hate is a site that stretches across the screen making the line lengths too long for ease of reading. I agree, coming from a publishing industry background. It doesn't make any sense if the point is to develop a site that people will read, why make it hard to read?Well, there are the users who hate a fixed width design (like me). I've found that my users who are concerned about the long line lengths invariably run all their windows maximised. Fixed width pages (which can't be resized) are the main reason I now run two monitors. Personally I figure if you're going to create a fixed width HTML page you may as well be using PDF because the end result is basically the same.
What are the thoughts on it here?
Thanks,
Kate
cheers,
Geoff
You must be working with people who know how to do things like copy-cut-paste an URL. :) Many of my clients, though not this particular one, are completely clueless about the Internets(tm). They think a plain-text e-mail is an attachment, etc. etc. Thus, the notion that you can resize a browser is completely foreign to most of them. I was sitting in a clients office a month ago and showed him how to do it: surprise! He asked, so what's the point of buying this size monitor. (I didn't bother explaining how you can leave the space for other apps.)
This particularly client, as with others, just don't like to see fluid design. As far as I'm concerned, it's their money and the only people who will have anything to say are technically competent folks in Web design space. In which case, they are unlikely to need our services. :)
I just want to know why you prefer it if you do, so I can gather together the different opinions to have in my arsenal.
Thanks,
The next problem with fixed fonts - my eyesight is not perfect and I often have to resize the text to make it readable.
Of course if your primary customer (the one paying you) says fixed width/font you can only let them know the problems it causes but do it their way if they insist.
Cheers,
Geoff
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Fluid design ... always?: From: Kate
Re: Fluid design ... always?: From: Geoff Purchase
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