Fluid V Fixed
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- Dancer
Background: A client has asked to make their website stretch the whole width of the browser window. I have tried to advise against but need more ammunition.
So: for and against would be great
thanks
- ian0
I've just done a site for a client and they sent it to a company which specialises in checking sites for accessibility. My fixed width site came back with a 'catastrophic error' which would hamper it getting a 'AA' rating for accessibility. This was using fixed width pixel measurements instead of making it liquid and using ems. So thats the only thing I can think of for making it liquid.
To me is like designing a brochure, size is another element of design, I don't think that every brochure should be A4, nor should every site need to be liquid or fixed.
- slappy0
Liquid/fluid/elastic layouts are ok depending on the site, more work though. Fixed width sites look weird on big widescreen monitors.
- jamble0
You can make it fixed width but use em's for the container width too if you're using em's for font sizing as well it should scale well for different text sizes set by users.
The main problem I find with full width sites is that the range of monitor resolutions (particularly widescreen monitors) means that on bigger screens you end up with very "short" (height wise) sites compared to viewing it on lower resolution and it's harder to deliver a consistent site layout across monitors.
- I made this which scales up well when you change sizes http://www.companyme…jamble
- Dancer0
can you set a maximum width so if your window goes over a certain length it will stop?
- ian0
Apparently you can:
http://www.w3schools.com/css/pr_…Never done it though.
- weestu0
some articles here: http://www.456bereastreet.com/ar…
it's much easier to make a fixed width site. Making an elastic site and making it look good is much more tricky... Why not compromise and go for a fixed width layout that re-orders itself depending on monitor resolution like http://www.uxmag.com/
- johnnnnyh0
I don't see accessibility being a major issue on the fixed width size. Actually, with a fluid layout paragraphs can become one long sentance on large monitor and are therefore less readable.
I'm enjoying the same issues as you with this debate.
I don't like fluid layouts since there are so many variables you can't nail the design at all.
- creative-0
I very much dislike liquid layouts. I don't see how a line length being stretched across a 24" monitor aids legibility. It's also harder to design the site based on a grid which is the staple of just about every piece of design I do.
- agreeDancer
- agreedijitaq
- That front page of the BBC is bloody excellent. I love the way can manage the content and move thing around, so simple but so effective.roundabout
- Dancer0
I wrote this in an email to a client:
"Nearly all web designers will always use a fixed width as they will have much more control of design, line length, and how the content flows i.e the design will be what the user sees. If you look at the most popular corporate sites around they ALL have fixed width.
Look at these fixed corporate sites:
http://www.bt.com/
http://www.virginmedia.com/ (note 1024px optimised width)
http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/ (left aligned and 1024 optimised width)
- neue75_bold0
just make everything widgets and let the users do whatever the fuck they want...
- Widget??? Am I being dumb again?Dancer
- no I'm just angry at the world, specifically the world of the wide web...neue75_bold
- and how all my clients see the BBC as 'the future of UCD', thus everything need be a customizable widget..neue75_bold
- with fluid pages and everything measured in em's vs pixels...neue75_bold
- mistermik0
yeah having request for that.
"isnt the BBC wonderful - can you copy it"
"sure 250k please"
- mimeartist0
surely a line length of 200 characters can't be good
- YAYPaul0
The way content is displayed is as important as the design it's within. I prefer to have full control of the viewing experience myself.
- Dancer0
hahaha
he has just come back with the BBC site as an example as well.
QBN Predictions are on the money