In deciding which the better software for web design is, there are both positive and negative features for both Macromedia Dremweaver and Microsoft Frontpage. Many users may argue on the virtue of the other over a lot of features and usability. For beginning web designers, Microsoft Frontpage is best due to the established familiarity that Microsoft Office already set. It makes learning and using easier and quicker for its Microsoft Office-like menus, working system, and prebuilt design templates. It has a very simple interface through the use of built-in wizards and templates making the creation of HTML pages very quickly. A user could set up a website in minutes because text formatting, inserting images or tables is comparable to doing MS Word which is already very familiar for many (Van Duyne et al, 2002; Jorge, 2007).
However, speed and ease of use are not enough making Macromedia Dreamweaver more preferable not only for clients but also for web designers. Considered a diamond or treasure for Macromedia, Dreamweaver has become the most popular web development program due to its stability and incredible capacity for advanced users. Its most outstanding feature is the possibility of changing between layers and tables. One can place a layer, with all its HTML content in a place on the page which itself is absolute positioning. One can set the number of pixels where it will be placed, and in consideration that not everyone uses the same screen resolution, a designer may use tables instead of layers. Dreamweaver allows a designer to design pages with layers and then it will automatically transform the layers into tables, without losing any of the document’s structure (Jorge, 2007). It has been commented to generate very clean HTML that is easy to customize, with useful interface items letting the designer view document in full design, full code, or half-design or half code views. Dreamweaver also has unique built-in web objects such as a rollover-button interface and a tabular-data table builder as well as animation capability built-in.
Likewise, Dreamweaver can create an image map or an image with many different links from a normal image inside the program itself. Macromedia Dreamweaver has an HTML reference so that when in doubt about a tag, it lets the user create interactive images without any external JavaScript, as it writes the scripts itself as well as other options (Jorge, 2007). Frontpage in comparison uses back-end programming for features such as forms through the use of “bots”. But customizing page design is difficult for Frontpage as the graphic interface creates convoluted as well as confusing code that is hard to customize. In addition, the use of “bots” requires Frontpage extensions to be loaded and configured on the webserver (Google Answers, 2007).
On one level, both programs have features that are equally attractive. While Dreamweaver is compatible with other Macromedia products such as Flash 5 or Fireworks 4, FrontPage is also compatible with other Microsoft Office programs. But another advantage for Dreamweaver is that in the absence of Flash 5, Dreamweaver 4 can create Flash Buttons or text for Web site’s files in order for future uploading. One can keep Dreamweaver 4 up-to-date with its Extensions as well as other useful add-ons made by advanced users from ASP or PHP server-side scripting to new HTML tags. It is also compatible with the latest web development technologies such as Cascading Style Sheets which can be created inside the program (Jorge, 2007).
One of the more important features of Dreamweaver is that while previously changes in websites were a nightmarish task, as changing a few simple things is the same as changing dozens or even hundreds of pages one at a time, with Dreamweaver, one can create a model for the whole Web site and change the design just once as Dreamweaver will take care of the rest (Jorge, 2007).
For a more precise comparison, Microsoft Frontpage is better in usability, beginner tools, text management, and DHTML. But Dreamweaver is better than Frontpage in Advanced tools, stability, price, tables, layering as Frontpage cannot work with layers, normal images, interactive images, uploading, and CSS. Dreamweaver files also occupy less memory, thereby allowing faster download and upload, making it more preferable for end-users (Google Answers, 2007).
However, an interesting view is circulating in the IT world that goes, “if an IT manager recommends a Microsoft solution and the solution fails, it’s Microsoft’s fault, but if the IT manager recommends any other solution and it fails, it’s the IT manager’s fault. So IT managers would much rather recommend MS over any other product because it clears them of any responsibility if it fails…” quoted from Google Answers (2007). This all ends up that Microsoft could be more attractive for beginners, Macromedia has provided professional tools that actually work in the real, more competitive IT world.
What makes a good website design?
Web design has evolved in humongous proportions but usability guru Dr. Jakob Nielsen believes that 80 percent of the things found ten years ago are still of importance today (Ward, 2004). While some have vanished due to change, about ten percent have changed due to technology, so that still, the majority of factors that worked ten years ago still are practical until the most recent times. In judging what makes a good website design, there are three sides to consider: the designer, the website owner, and the website user (Garrett, 2002; Smallbizonline, 2007).
From a user’s point of view, the things to consider are ease f navigation, download time, conformity of design, clarity of message, impact, and browser capability. For download time, it refers to either a slower or faster appearance of a complete page to the user’s browser. Many users believe that it is important that a website downloads in about 15 seconds or less. Ease of navigation refers to an easy understanding of what the site offers and how users should move around to seek and find what they are looking for or are interested in. It is recommended that a user must not be more than two clicks away from what they want or need. The design must be clear and simple but far from visually boring and that any adornment should not defeat the site’s purpose (Garrett, 2002).
Conformity of design is the use of more familiar or what users have been accustomed to. Conventional web page layout is more preferred over confusing and irritating layouts that do not meet the expectation of the user. Some of the more familiar layouts use a logo on the top line with page navigation on the top or down one side. Consistency in the layout also throughout the site could also be easier for users so that they need not think too much about the layout. Clarity of message may depend on the use of text color and background, as less irritating color combinations with pastel backgrounds and a few small graphics may add up interest. Text descriptions must be brief with headings so that a user can easily pick the information and proceed for details (Van Duyne et al, 2002).
Impact refers to the combination of information and visual stimulation so that plain text may be useful but not attractive enough. The opening page must give users an idea of what the rest of the site has to offer with enough information leading to details via page links. Hope page or opening page must elicit interest and encourage users to explore. Browser compatibility refers to the adaptation of old and new computers on web browsing as capability may disrupt user enjoyment. An alternative rendition may convey messages appropriately to old browsers (Garrett, 2002; Smallbizonline, 2007).
In the point of view of the web owner, a good website must be easy to navigate, impact a good professional image, and most especially, easy to find. Factors to be considered include browser compatibility, search engine friendliness, color schemes, ease of updating the website, text legibility, and download speed. For search engine friendliness, it means that a good website must use keywords that are most often used in search engines such as Google or Yahoo!. Web contents are read by search engines and the words are retained for reference when users type in words they are looking for. Ease of update refers to the possibility of minimal IT intervention when updating the website, or, the speed and simplicity of uploading new pages, edited texts, images, and content of a website. The use of web design software may affect this so that it is necessary that IT professionals deal with the web design (Van Duyne et al, 2002; Really Good Domains, 2007).
These all reflect the universal approach for ease of use as much as the clear message the site wants to convey. User empowerment has been cited as defining what is extremely profitable and successful with Nielsen citing Google, Amazon, eBay, and Yahoo. These sites are known for their simplicity coupled with powerful tools that are practical and available to users (Ward, 2004).
Interestingly, Lowery (2007) has enumerated the following as deadly website sins that kill business: Poor load time, Poor overall appearance, Spelling/Grammar, No contact information, Poor content, Poor navigation, Broken links and graphics, Poor browser compatibility, Large slow-loading graphics, Too many graphics, Pages scrolling to oblivion, Multiple uses of animated graphics, Animated bullets, Too many graphic and/or line dividers, Busy, distracting backgrounds, Multiple banners and buttons, Poor use of frames, Large fonts, Pop up messages, Overuse of java, Poor use of tables, Poor organization, Different backgrounds on each page, Overpowering music set to auto-play, Confusing, Too much advertising, Large Welcome banners, Multiple colored texts, Text difficult to read, No Meta tags, Multiple uses of different fonts, Under construction signs, Scrolling text in the status bar, Large scrolling text across the page, and Poor use of mouseover effects.
Reference
Garrett, Jesse James (2002) The Elements of User Experience. New Riders.
Google Answers (2007). “Q: DreamWeaver OR MS Front Page : Which one should I select ?” Web.
Jorge, Ruben (2007). “Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 vs. Microsoft FrontPage 2000.” Web.
Lower, Shelly. (2007). “35 Deadly Website Sins That will Kill Your Business!” Web.
Really Good Domains. (2007). “What makes a good website?” Web.
Smallbizonline (2007). “What Makes a Good Web Design?” Web.
Van Duyne, Douglas, James Landay, Jason I. Hong (2002). The Design of Sites: Principles, Processes and Patterns for Crafting a Customer-centered Web Experience. Addison Wesley.
Ward, Mark. (2004). “A decade of good website design.” BBC News, UK version, Web.