The layout of a typical web portal is described by Howard Strauss in his article "Web  Portals: The Future of Information Access and Distribution."²⁵ The portal interface is normally divided into "columns" that contain "channels" of information. This information may be "channel level alerts, text, multi-media of every stripe, links to information and applications, navigation, search, help, and cameos."²⁶ A "cameo" is a piece of data or an application from another source, that the user can access from within the portal. A "data cameo" is a small amount of information that the user can view while an "application cameo" enables the user to enter data into the cameo that will be passed on to the external source. For example, a user may wish to search Yahoo! on a particular topic without leaving the portal. In this case, the Yahoo! search box could be included in the portal interface.

Strauss also discusses some issues relating to the design of portals. Firstly, the level of "customization" - or the extent to which a portal can be customized to suit the needs of the individual or organization - and of "personalization" - the extent to which the user can adjust the content, layout and other aspects of their own page to fit their individual needs.²⁷ Also, will be there be a single interface or more than one page and, if the latter, how will the user be able to navigate between the pages?

When designing a portal or a gateway the key issues are usability and navigation. It is important to know as much as possible about the users themselves, namely how they search and the nature of their information needs. If a user is not able to find the information that they require easily and successfully then the portal or gateway is of no practical use. It is therefore best to design the portal based on the needs of users with the least technical knowledge.²⁸ A simple interface that is easy to understand and the ability to produce timely and relevant information are integral to any design.