Digital etiquette refers to how a person should behave while using technology. Just as there are proper ways to do things in life, the same goes for technology. There are rules that must be followed to be a respectful citizen of the technology world.

When designing anything, there are some rules that need to be followed in order to make the visual attractive and pleasing to the eye!

Know your colors!!!

When creating a visual, the designer must know how certain colors go together, and MUST not use too many colors! By overflowing the page with colors, the viewer can be easily distracted from the point of the ad or any other visual.

Information

When creating the visual, the designer wants to provide information to the viewer on whatever the product may be. However, by including too much information, the viewer may not be able to find the information he wants, and also could be overwhelmed. By putting only the important information, the designer can make the visual more viewer friendly.

Navigation

When searching for information on a website, it is best to make it as easy as possible on the viewer. By ensuring that all items work and things are easy to find, a viewer will be much more pleased with the designer and will be more likely to explore the product.

What NOT to do:

Color:

Information:

Navigation:

What to do:

Color:

Information:

Navigation:

Copyright and Citizenship

When one person creates an idea, they then own the rights to it. If another designer wishes to use this idea, they must follow necessary steps prior to using it. If all of the steps are not followed then it is considered stolen. The same as if you stole something from the store. While finding things to include on your image, ensure that you give credit to the creator of anything you do not create in order to avoid any problems with the law.

Legal and Ethical Issues:

Like the real world, the technology world has a digital law. These laws protect peoples creations and identity from being stolen or harmed. These include but are not limited to: identity theft, piracy, and hacking. Copyright is a way of protecting peoples creations and keeps them from being stolen and claimed as someones else's. Without these laws, people would be able to steal other peoples creations, similar to stealing toys from a store.

By including the citations at the bottom, the piece gives credit to the websites and creators, where the information was derived. This is a way of protecting the original sources ideas from being claimed as someone else's.