• Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS)
• You are communicating information or a message to your audience. Message is the top priority.
• Always keep your goals and objectives for the website in mind. It's easy to forget the big picture.
• Interface : A process or procedure or device that can transfer information from one source to another.
• Design : An Assembly of parts either by processes or layout, that can effectively communicate info from one source to another.
• Design Process : Arrangement of Pieces of information.

Design Considerations

• Consistency - (Quit button in the same spot)
• Access - Can I get to where I want to go in the piece?
• Intuitiveness - Does it work? Does it flow? Is it easy to navigate.
• Don't let the design overshadow the message. It's not the ingredients, but how you put them together. Content defines style
• The goal is unity, not uniformity. Create a harmonious environment where all the content can coexist;everything looks like it goes together.
• Remember, the users computer must reproduce what you produce, so be aware of your target machine.
• The more invisible and seamless your interface, the better.

Users of western languages...

• scan from top left to bottom right
• assume that larger items are more important
• Assume that items higher on the screen are also more important or emphasized than items below
• look for more to come controls or indications at the bottom center or right

Remember C.R.A.P.

Contrast: Changes or similarities in style, color, size, or any other quality can indicate what information goes together and what doesn't.
Repetition: Repetition emphasis what information you want the user to remember. Especially important to instructional/educational work.
Alignment: Can indicate items or points of the same relative importance. It also gives the interface a sense of order.
Proximity: Items located near each other often seem related in some way, such as how control elements are often grouped together. This helps the user by signifying their common purpose, as well as providing a common area for these elements.

Go To Create and Recognize Effective Interface Designs