On 06/04/27 12:32 (GMT-0400) tedd apparently typed: > At 9:54 AM -0400 4/27/06, Felix Miata wrote:
>>On 06/04/27 08:55 (GMT-0400) tedd apparently typed: >>> Please review the following site: >>> http://ancientstones.com >>> Suggestions and comments welcomed. >>Nice. But, those using sidebars are likely not to appreciate it so much. >>It requires a lot of viewport width or a smallish default text size to >>avoid horizontal scroll. > At 10:24 AM -0500 4/27/06, David Merchant wrote: >>Must agree with both reviewers: >>1. I use a sidebar virtually 100% of the time and so I have to scroll >>horizontally to see all of this Web page. On the Catalog page, for >>instance, I do not see the Price radio buttons at all. Funny how, for many >>people, the eye notices a vertical scrollbar readily and thus realizes >>there is more to the Web page, but doesn't notice too readily at all a >>horizontal scroll bar. > Okay, what would be a good maximum width measurement (in pixels)? None. Let it be whatever size it needs to be. Web browsers are designed to do a good job of precisely that. What you as designer need to do is think about the way the browser and your users work and merge that understanding into the look and function you're after. So, you've decided your design looks best at a 900px overall width, say using your own default browser default text size as your P text size. If that's 16px, divide 900 by 16 to get 56em. That's your width, no more, no less. That gives you the perspective that you already decided works best. Size all your container widths to add up to about 56em wide. Then when a visitor comes along with bigger text and a bigger window, it should look about the same, because the all the relationships are unchanged. If he has a bigger window but the same text size, the perspective will remain unchanged, and still look the way you wanted, as it should with smaller text and a similar window size. Other users will have either narrower windows with the same text, or other combinations that want to squeeze your design, changing the perspective. By keeping that overall 56em width, these people will get a horizontal scroll. It's your job as designer to figure out just how much scroll is compatible with good function and accessibility, which may be zero, and make design adjustment(s) compatible with both your design and good function and access. Those adjustments may very well including permitting a reduced width, in order to allow a squeeze in place of a scroll for viewers with larger font-size to viewport width ratios. Only a lot of experimenting with different viewport widths and text sizes will permit you to make good decisions here, though asking opinions here can't hurt any. In the end, there is no magic across the board magic minimum or maximum. Using either creates a limitation. Limitations on the web are usually unnecessary at best, and destructive to user satisfaction, accessibility, and usability at worst. -- "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 NIV Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 Felix Miata *** http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/auth/auth ______________________________________________________________________ css-discuss [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d IE7b2 testing hub -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=IE7 List wiki/FAQ -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/ Supported by evolt.org -- http://www.evolt.org/help_support_evolt/
