One of the most variable aspects of web design is the way in which we approach width and height in terms of measurements and flexibility.
For many years, we have rotated between the benefits and pitfalls of using fixed, elastic, and liquid measurements in a quest to give optimal viewing experiences in highly varied situations, while balancing our need to control things in our web pages.
But, as Bob Dylan proclaimed a long time ago, “The times, they are a-changin’,” and with these changes come a variety of new ways for laying out your website’s pages and an even more variable landscape of methods for viewing websites.
In this article, we will examine web layout types — old, new, and the future. We will explore the subject in the context that websites are being viewed in a diverse amount of ways, such as through mobile phones, netbooks, and touchscreen personal devices like the iPad.
About Your Options
Let’s set our objectives for this exploration of layout types:
- We shall examine the variety of options that exist
- For each layout type, I’ll try to suggest some situations they are best used in
- The pros and cons of a layout type compared to others
We will discuss 10 types of web layouts.
Types of Layout Methods
While pixel perfection is a pipe dream, there’s more to layouts than fixed, liquid or elastic!
The main lesson to take away from these choices is to think carefully about why an option is suitable for a particular situation and how your choice will affect your audience.
Let’s dig in, starting with absolute layouts.
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