Jeffrey Zeldman’s venerable A List Apart has redesigned and, among other changes, the site is now designed with fixed-width pages at 1024 pixels wide. We love this issue (so much, that we actually wrote a White Paper about it). Why? Because the issue of fixed vs. so-called “liquid” layouts epitomizes, unlike almost any other design question, the “art” of user-centered design:

— It’s a primary decision for any browser-based design
— In addition to questions of usability, there is a powerful aesthetic component to the decision
— Liquid, or non-fixed, layouts are very technologically challenging and less flexible from a maintenance perspective
— The decision can (and should) be based on reliable user data regarding monitor resolution and other data regarding browsing behavior
— The decision must be based on a client’s business objectives for displaying content, functionality, and advertising
— There is never a solution that will both satisfy every client business objective and user

And this: in a roomful of smart, experienced designers you might have difficulty getting everyone to agree which design approach is the “right” one for any particular situation. We referenced this thread a while back. Here’s a more recent (and, to my mind, more balanced and less hysterical) example. Comments in the latter thread offer an excellent cross-section of arguments and good, constructive discussion. Of course, you should also see our other posts on the topic in general.

User-Centered Design: Don’t try this at home

Enjoy the long weekend.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 2nd, 2005 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Screen Resolution, User Interface Design.