Photoshop® CS4 Bible

24.4. Creating a Web Page

There are many fine, free, Web-publishing tools, but if you're reading this chapter, the assumption can be made that you're at least considering taking the do-it-yourself approach to creating a Web site from scratch. Good for you! This section briefly outlines the process behind planning, designing, and exporting an optimized Web page. Use the following steps to guide you in creating your own page:

1. Determine the purpose of your site, and sketch out its basic layout. In this example, I'm making a personal Web page that features some of my photography and a little bit of information about myself. Ultimately, the site will be very simple, and won't feature any complex functionality like e-commerce.

   Following the principles outlined earlier in this chapter, I've come up with a sketch of what my site's structure will look like. As shown in Figure 24.33, I've also developed that sketch into what's called a wireframe — a simple schematic representation of my Web page that denotes its main structural parts. I also worked out the basic navigational structure of my site, deciding that it will have a total of four pages, including the homepage.

2. Design the look and feel of your site. This is the art direction phase of creating the site, and, for many, it's also the hardest — and most subjective — part of the process. Be prepared to spend some time picking out color schemes, experimenting with type treatments, and deciding on imagery to use. It's also a good idea to ...