Website Design Articles :: Good design

Why frame based sites are a bad idea

I am writing this from a web designer's perspective but there are many valid reasons why a site should if possible avoid the use of frames.

Questions to ask your web designer

Is it is going to increase the cost of your website?

Why? Because there is considerably more work involved in setting up a site with 'good frames' ie those that work across browsers and accommodate all screen sizes and resolutions.

There are countless examples of sites that use 'bad frames' and if you have a nice big monitor with an up to date browser and a high screen resolution - ie more than 800 x 600 - then you are probably none the wiser. However as a small business setting up your new website and wanting to attract customers, your primary aim at all times should be to make your site available to as many of your visitors as possible.

Will the site function correctly at all screen resolutions?

A common reason for wanting a frame based site is because you want some element of the page - the navigation perhaps - to remain visible on the screen at all times even when users scroll down the page to read your content. Quite reasonable you might think and in some instances yes. But consider this. If you are going to fix the left hand column which contains your navigation then you are going to have to limit the depth of it to, ideally no more than 480 pixels. Why? Simple. Anyone with a small screen resolution would not see anything below this depth because that part of the page will be fixed and doesn't allow scrolling. People with a large screen size and resolution will just be left with a huge blank gap on the left of the screen which may end up being filled with a solid colour simply to balance the menu items at the top. A waste of valuable screen space? Yes!

Also, if you want your navigation to appear differently on each page, for instance if you want the background menu item of the active page in a different colour then separate framesets are essential.

What will users with non frames capable browsers see?

A site built using 'good frames' will also need to have a set of 'noframes' pages containing links to standard html pages for those users who don't have frames capable browsers, or at the very least a 'noframes' message telling them why they can't view your site. Yes these users are getting less and less over the years. But when was the last time you updated your browser without buying a new computer? Exactly. Many people are using computers that are years old or have been passed on by other family members. Not everyone needs or wants the latest equipment. Unbelievable isn't it ;-)

Can each page be bookmarked?

Another consideration in a frame based site is that unless a separate frameset is made for each page, users will not be able to bookmark individual pages of your site. You can easily tell if a site uses 'bad frames' when whichever page you visit, the url displayed in the browser address bar doesn't change from page to page. Try and bookmark a page and you will always get the home page of the site. Maybe not a disaster in a small site with clear navigation but in a large or poorly designed site then your visitors will be left wondering how to find the information.

There are other design limitations which need to be addressed too. For example, that nice fly-out submenu on your wishlist needs more than standard Dreamweaver coding in order for it to display across more than one frame. Does your designer have those tools? If not then expect to be charged for their purchase.

Summary

For anyone who cares about their customers' experience browsing their site, it is essential when choosing a frame based layout that it is built using 'good frames'. Usability should always be balanced with, and not at the expense of design.

While it is not impossible to create a 'good frames' site it may well cost you more money and so you should think seriously about whether that fixed navigation bar is really necessary.