Where can I find a standard set of rules for designing web pages?

Question

I have been making webpages for about 5 years now. I'm a C# programmer but I do know HTML, JavaScript, and CSS by nature and all my websites seem to look like they just walked out of the year 1995's internet. Is there quick reference to a set of do's and don't in web design?

Note: Even though my websites don't look great, at least they work ;-)

Answer 1

I know you're looking more for visual help, but see this guide for some technical gotchas:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/72394/what-should-a-developer-know-before-building-a-public-web-site

Answer 2

This is a good reference of don'ts:

http://csszengarden.com/?cssfile=http://www.brucelawson.co.uk/zen/sample.css

Answer 3

Have you tried looking at the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and assets for the sites you like? It's all there--that's what's great about the open web.

Answer 4

A few links, older but still relevant:

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design

Five Simple Steps to designing with colour

How C.R.A.P is Your Site Design?

Answer 5

Sadly, the there really isn't a set of do's / don'ts. I'm not aware of any kind of CUA-like guidance for web applications for a given look/feel and user experience.

for aesthetics :

• ASP.NET MVC Design Gallery - for MVC
• ASP.NET Design Templates - for webforms
• 25 Magento site designs

I would also look at reading Smashing Magazine on a regular basis (I am sure there are others) it has pointers on layouts, design templates, galleries, typography and things like optimizing different kinds of work flows in sites (e.g. shopping carts, non-profit sites etc).

It was amazing how on my last project just starting with one of the the asp.net templates made my app look better out of the box and that minimized the resistance of end users on their initial go around with the app. YMMV of course.

Answer 6

Just educate yourself on the principels of design ... things like the rule of thirds, balance, symmetry, contrast, rhythm & patterns, proportion (divine proportion).

Spend an hour searching "principles of design" and you may surprised what ideas come to you for your sites.

Answer 7

This book was very useful to me when I started, and lots of people I've recommended it to have been happy with it:

The Non-Designer's Web Book

in fact her general book on design is almost as good, as it's mostly about the principles, not so much about the technical details.

Answer 8

http://www.alistapart.com/ got so many genius articles as well :)

Answer 9

Also check out bulletproof css by dan cederholm