Dimensions
The first task was to decide on dimensions for each page element. I wanted the design to scale down to 800×600 and still be workable since Google Analytics tells me that about 20% of my site visitors come with an 800×600 resolution.
The header just needed to be big enough to hold a logo that I hadn’t designed yet. 200 pixels seemed to be a good height. On an 800×600 screen, it would only take up the top third.
My left border needed to be a little wider since it will hold several text menus. 225 pixels looked like a good fit. The actual usable width will be a little less than 225px since the edge will be curved.
Once we take margins into account, since text butting up directly against each graphic section is not a look I was after, we’re left with a content section about 500px wide with around 200px vertically above the fold. While not ideal, this is a good amount of space which of course increases with a larger resolution that 80% of my visitors have.
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