There are well-known proverbs that imply (or state outright) that beauty is superficial and limited in what it can accomplish. “It’s what’s inside that counts” and “Beauty is only skin deep” are a few simple examples. Because the Web design industry is now flooded with a lot of raw talent, and because virtually anyone can create a “beautiful” website, recognizing a truly beautiful website experience is becoming increasingly difficult. What appears beautiful to the eye might in fact be more of a hindrance.

In this article, I hope to provide a clear demarcation between what is perceived by most to be beautiful in Web design and what is truly beautiful, along with some guiding principles to help designers today create websites whose beauty is not superficial, but rather improves and enhances the user experience.

Read more: http://bit.ly/9LOWq4

After reviewing website for a few months, I’ve begun to see general patterns emerge that make a site more or less usable. I would like to highlight some of the more common problems designers should address on their own sites in a Usability checklist before launching a site.

1. Site ID - A Sites ID is usually found at the top left of a page right next to navigation of some kind.
2. Page Name - Name of any page being browsed needs to be made very clear to the user.
3. Navigation by browsing - There are two primary ways a user can navigate a site, and it’s important to have both forms of navigation on almost every page. Primary Navigation is of course navigation to get to the main parts of the site. Secondary Navigation divides primary navigation into subsections. Utilities are parts of your site that aren’t really connected to the primary sections of your site.
4. Navigation by Search - The second form of navigation by searching. Some users prefer browsing, some prefer searching, so it’s usually wise to include both.
5. Tag line or site description - Taglines are a great way to explain the purpose of a site to a user quickly.

These are just a suggestion, as all items mentioned may not be applicable for all sites.