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CSS How to Make a Website Responsive Web Design and Testing Website Testing

Jeremy Castanza
Jeremy Castanza
12,081 Points

Design related question about video.

In this current video series, Nick does a series of tests in Photoshop to test his website. One of the tests involves rotating a screenshot 180 degrees to check for "balance in his design."

I'm not much of a design guy, so I think I'm missing the theory that would tie all of this together for me. But I'm wondering if anyone could explain or provide a link to a site that would fail this test.

I may be reading too much into it, but in his design he only includes five images rather than six... Wouldn't this be considered unbalanced, then merit some revision?

I'm not really clear on what makes a good design vs. a bad design in this instance and/or situations that would merit some changes in the design based on this test.

1 Answer

Amy Tucker
Amy Tucker
13,273 Points

It would definitely be considered asymmetrical, but not necessarily unbalanced. Flipping it upside down isn't so much a specific test but rather a way of tricking your brain into focusing less on the smaller details, like text, and seeing the bigger picture instead, as alternating blocks of content and space. Shifting your perspective like this can give you a better sense of the overall composition, and if it feels just as balanced to you upside down as it does upright, then you're on the right track. But if it feels like it's leaning to one side too much, or the values are weighted too heavily on one side, then fixing them will make your upright design that much better. Sometimes you just can't see these things when you've been working on it for a while. But when a visitor comes to your site for the first time, they may notice these problems because the entire design is new to them. Turning it around is a way to approach your design as if it's also new to you, allowing you to experience it more like a new visitor to your site would.

Jeremy Castanza
Jeremy Castanza
12,081 Points

Amy, I appreciate your input. That's very valuable feedback.