What people should understand from the first screen

A large headline can occupy most of a screen while leaving a question unanswered: what does this person offer? When reviewing a homepage, first read its text without images. It should make the service, its audience and the route to contact understandable.

Then return to the composition. A photograph and headline compete for attention; the space they receive expresses a priority. On a personal website, a small portrait next to a large stock image may give more weight to an atmosphere than to the person. That balance deserves a deliberate decision.

Three questions help examine it:

• What information disappears if the largest element is removed?
• Could the headline accompany an entirely different service unchanged?
• Is the main action recognisable before scrolling?

The review also needs to happen on mobile. A headline taking two lines on desktop may need four; filters and labels can push content down. Reducing font size alone will not always resolve the order of reading.

These questions do not prescribe a single layout. They make it possible to explain why an element occupies its position and what someone should understand from it. If the headline already introduces the service, an image can offer another perspective. If that information is still missing, resolve it before adding another introductory phrase.