Why use Graphics on your web pages?

• Additional information
  

• Decoration / visual relief
  

• Visual hierarchy
  

• Separate sections

Previous to the redesign, we used a lot of different strategies to visually structure web pages. Many of these strategies were very successful, but have not been translated into the new look and feel - what I mean is that there were a lot of great looking web pages, but the graphic elements that enhanced and identified these pages were backgrounds, side bars, headers and footers, which are not permitted. The result is a lot of text-heavy pages on our website.

Use graphic elements to break up the grayness of a page of text, add information with plots and illustrations, use an image as visual punctuation - giving the eye a bit of pause, or a bright exclamation point.

A good example of using graphics (photographs) on a web page is the "Hot Tips for a Cool Summer" site. Notice how the pictures lead your eye from section to section on the page as you skim, and notice how the pictures are small enough to load quickly, appealing enough to draw your eye.