Screen Resolution

What is a good target screen res for a website?

[vwds]

I am looking for some feedback as to what might be a good idea of a standard resolution for most computers these days. I think that 1024x768 seems to be a fairly reasonable standard, but I am not sure. Nearly all of my computer screens run at 1600x1200 since I am a power user. Any suggestions or comments?

[tedster]

General users (about 90% or more) are still pretty evenly divided between 800 and 1024 -- and whatever design you create should work for either one. One very workable approach would be a single page with a liquid layout that adjusts to the available widnow size -- many, many, many posts here about how to approach that.

And remember that screen resolution does not equal window size -- as the user of a 1600x1200 res monitor, I'm sure you don't always run your browser at full screen, so you know what I mean.

[vwds]

I agree that the content and design should never have a fixed width that should be rigidly followed, but I am really only fishing for general page size viewable for most users.

[tedster]

Let me try to be clearer. You asked if designing with 1024 as a standard is reasonable.

The answer is "No" it is not reasonable, because nearly 40% of current users are running a monitor set for 800x600. And maybe 45% or so are running at 1024, so you've got to account for both groups, and do so very intentionally.

This is based on the public stats at W3Schools [w3schools.com] and my own stable of clients whose stats I watch regularly.

[Jon_King]

Thanks Tedster thats good info. I also think staying slightly ahead of the curve in terms of screen resolution and download bandwidth is prudent. IMHO design for the next 'average'.

[tedster]

The growing trend in user agents is 2 fold: very big (like yours and larger) and very small (Pocket PCs, PDAs, 3G wireless phones)

In fact, it's a fascinating culture-wide trend in the US -- everything is being offered in both very large and very small versions. This includes soda (6-oz cans and 50-ounce "big gulps"), candy bars, and even vegetables! Wired Magazine had an article last year about this trend to grow at the extremes in size, but shrink in the middle. I can't find it right now, but I think they called it the "Well Shaped Curve".

And so the need grows for liquid, fluid design principles that are device independent.

[vwds]

Thanks for the great info, you brought up some really good points I hadn't thought about. What I meant by designing for 1024 is that the design would look and function preferably at any size, but look best at 1024.

VWDS