0 Liquid Web Design: How to Build it Right

A good designer knows how to blend interface with information in such a manner that it appears seamless and the navigation almost invisible to the user. This is where liquid web design comes in. Liquid web design allows a website to fit whatever size browser window that the user has available. 

When integrating liquid web design into a site, there are several factors that need to be considered, namely:

The Four Inch Rule:

In order to allow better readability of text on websites, many designers have incorporated ‘The Four Inch Rule’; a term more commonly used in the world of print. The rule states that text should not exceed four inches in width on a single page as anything beyond that will result in poor readability. By inputting the same concept into design with a fixed-width table inside of a 100% width table, designers can ensure that their websites not only allow for better readability at higher resolutions but also allows the designer to incorporate the blank space needed to make the page more visually appealing. 

Making it Happen on Paper

Before designing a website that will incorporate liquid web design, there are several question that you will have to ask yourself:

-          Will it have a navigational bar on the left side or the right side?

-          Will there by headers and footers?

-          Will the interface be complex? If so, then will the graphics have to combine in order to make it look and work right?

The best way to approach is to first draw up your design on paper. Remember, there are two things you will have to keep in mind when designing such a website; first, designing a liquid website will be extremely tedious and cumbersome, however, in the end, all your efforts will definitely pay off. Secondly, there is no way a perfect design can be made into a liquid website as then there will be no flow.

Testing, Testing and More Testing

Once you have decided what the layout of your website will be, you can start with its development. The best way to test your design’s success is by loading it on several different browsers on several different operating systems with several different desktop resolutions. This will help you find standardized solutions to suit different browsers. Once you have made it to this level, your design will be considered a success.