Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Design and Content : What screen resolution do you design for

[Crazy BigGaz]

Hi,

What screen resoltuion do you design for as in the past I have done 800x600, but for the past few years and before there has been monitors that can go above this.

I personally run at 1024x768

So what screen resolution do you design for ?

[the_pm]

None.

Screen resolution tells you nothing about the amount of viewing area visitors are portioning to their browser window. We design to accommodate browser windows as small as ~750px, but this has nothing to do with screen resolution.

Someone who's running dual widescreen monitors is just as likely to have 800x600 browser windows as the person who's forced to use a browser window this small due to their lesser screen resolution. This means that discussing size in terms of screen resolution is superfluous.

So, my answer is 800x600 as a minimum, but in no way does this have anything to do with screen resolution (I actually answered 'Other' in the poll).

[Crazy BigGaz]

Hi,

Oh right, the reason I thought it was I have seen sites that say best viewed with 1024x768 in the past. So I thought it was to do with the screen resolution

[MYIGIS]

I design at 1024x768 for FireFox!

The reason......... my web site stats indicates Visitor's Browser Window Width

Width % of Total
Greater than 584 99%
Greater than 744 99%
Greater than 968 93%
Greater than 1096 62%
Greater than 1344 9%
Greater than 1384 8%
Greater than 1544 6%
Greater than 1624 5%

also as a matter of interest:

70% Firefox
29% Internet Explorer
<1% Unknown
<1% Opera
<1% Safari

[bluedreamer]

There's no single way to determine how you should design. You need to consider things like the type of site, the content and your target audience. Just because a high proportion of your visitors have their resolution at at least 1024x768 doesn't mean they will always run with a maiximised browser window.

[the_pm]

Originally Posted by GarryUK

Hi,

Oh right, the reason I thought it was I have seen sites that say best viewed with 1024x768 in the past. So I thought it was to do with the screen resolution

Sites that say this are talking about screen resolution. They are wrong to do so. First, you don't ever create a site and expect your audience to adapt their viewing preference to match it. Second, those site creators are falling into the same screen resolution trap. Ignore them - it's a bad habit to pick up.

[Looie]

100% width, min-width 780px

[hellind2]

Originally Posted by Looie

100% width, min-width 780px

Said it very well.

I also design sites with 780px min width, flexible to 100%. It is ideal for all resolution above 800x600.

[teejayr]

I use 744px. Anyways, Webmonkey has an old (but updated) article about designing sites that are cross-platform compatible. You can check it out here.

[Katasdf]

I'm on 1440x900, but I design for 1010x750

[slyseekr]

My company largely designs for 1024x768, though ultimately (I'd like) my designs to fit comfortably in any screen size and within print media.

The only limiting factor I can think of for design width these days is printable space, which usually limits a page to 760px wide (if you're designing for a specific width).

[JayNL]

New photoshop documents are always standaard 900x700px and grow during designing, but only in length

[AnS_]

Originally Posted by Looie

100% width, min-width 780px

I also use this kind of settings. Although, the biggest difficulty is to design for handheld devices!

[Leo Polus]

I have yet to find any manner of website content that can't fit perfectly in 800x600.

[dojo]

I have some 800x600 designs, most are now on the next 'level' 1024X768 though