800x600 or 1024x768

[Kelly Creative]

If a fluid layout is either not an option or you're not confident enough to do it, generally what size should designers be making for. I read a 'people with 800x600 shouldn't be using computers'.
Surely the unfortuate thing is a few people surely do?
I want to know who builds 800x600 or 1024x768 and reasons why.

Ta

[Toon]

800x600 still know so many clients who have screens this size and they ain't gonna want any missing from their screen.

[sarah]

800 x 600, for the same reasons as Toon.

[El Peligroso]

1024 x 768 - it's my first attempt and i didn't know any better

[digitaloctane]

Originally Posted by Kelly Creative

If a fluid layout is either not an option or you're not confident enough to do it, generally what size should designers be making for. I read a 'people with 800x600 shouldn't be using computers'.
Surely the unfortuate thing is a few people surely do?
I want to know who builds 800x600 or 1024x768 and reasons why.

Ta

Kelly, Are you quoting me for the other "unmentioned forum"

If so, I am the one that said that. i build for 1024x768 as a default. Liquid layout is always an option. And as you are providing a service you ultimately need to build toward the consumer, not the client. If you know your clients target audience is an older crowd, and have a hard time reading, you use the ol' em instead of px for font size.

First step, always id the target audience... do some research and make the call then.

[digitaloctane]

Ok, so after i posted i took a look at my google analytics, over the last couple days here is screen resolution of people that viewed my site:

1. 1024x768 -- 31.82%
2. 1280x1024 -- 27.27%
3. 1280x800 -- 9.09%
4. 1600x1200 -- 7.58%
5. 1440x900 -- 6.06%

and so on. 800x600 didn't even show up in my top ten... Now i know this is from a small group of visitors to my site... but still !

[D856C]

Liquid layout is always an option.

I agree. A List Apart just did an article which uses liquid examples.

Screen Resolution and Page Layout Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, July 31, 2006 Recommends liquid, but to optimize for 1024x768.

[greg]

I agree - 800x600 is on it's way out.

Digital Ocatne Said:

And as you are providing a service you ultimately need to build toward the consumer, not the client.

I agree - to a point, the last thing you want to do is come off like a know it all, and if all my client wants is 800x600 compared to 1024x768 - that is a small price to pay. In the end - I would rather be paid - and have a happy customer - since they are the one that is paying and have the ability for free advertising. Now I am not saying that you should agree to a pink and green design - but that doesn't mean you can't allow the person that is paying for the item to make some of the smaller detailed decisions.

--
Greg

[Kelly Creative]

I guess it works the other way I had a look at MSN on a large screen the other day and it just looks lost centrereed on a big blue space.

One question if fluid is and should be the way forward how come giants of the web like msn and yahoo ignore this??

[zumojuice]

yeah, i design for 800x600 but use 1024x768 as the overall guide size. In other words even if peoples screen is set at 1024x768, there is nothing to say their browser is that large. With all these bars, plug-ins and of course scaled browsers, you may be getting loaded in something a lot smaller.

Also if you designing on a huge cinema screen, test it on something smaller. or use some of the plug-ins for it (firefox has a web developer plug in)