Let’s take a look at something near and dear to my geek-heart - web design.

Let’s look at ‘web design’ this way.

Are you a web designer?
Then you are an artist.
But, you’re not what most people think of when they hear ‘artist.’ You’re a unique artist. Your art is interactive.
What you create is not just a static piece of canvas to be hung on a wall.
What you create is a mix of visual beauty and interactivity.

The interactivity is what most web designers fail to remember.

…there are some instances where it’s more than appropriate to adorn every margin, button and headline with fancy ornaments and sparkly rollover effects.
Generally speaking though, these trinkets are not only superfluous, but end up being distractions that devalue the content on your site, further complicates it’s learning curve, and conceals whatever it is that your visitors came for in the first place.
-Lee

Do you get where I’m going?
No?

Ok, let’s back up.

You’re a web designer.
What are you creating? A web site.
Why would someone want to visit your web site? The content.

Remember the content?
The whole reason you’re creating this web site?

You see, web design is knowing your canvas. (-nclud)
And in order to know your canvas you need to thoroughly understand three things: what your medium is, who’s examining your art, and why they want to look at your site.

What’s the Medium?

What’s the medium you’re using to convey your information?
A web site of course!

That web site has two specific limits.
-A computer monitor.
-The particular coding you’re using. (CSS, Flash, PHP, etc.)

So, what ever you design must be displayed on a computer monitor (of varying sizes, resolutions, and colors), and must have proper code in order to actually be displayed.

Ok, so there are your limitations.

Who’s Examining Your Artwork?

Well, you could probably tell me more about the type of person who’s viewing your web site, but I can tell you three things.

1. It’s either a human or a spiderbot.
2. The human is using a web browser.
3. The person may or may not know a lot about the internet and how to surf it.

While those three things may seem rather simple, they do have a lot of implications.
Before you design a web site, think about them.
1. Your web site’s viewers are human, just like you are. And also don’t forget those wonderful Google spiderbots that crawl through your web site’s guts.
2. The browser could be Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or any one of a myriad of web browsers on various operating systems. So take those into account in your web site design.
3. Consider the knowledge base of your audience in your design - he/she may not know as much about the web as you do. Everyone views the web for the first time! Would someone who’s new to the internet be able to easily browse your site with as much ease as a seasoned web viewer?

Why Does Someone Want to Look at Your Web Site?

What drives someone to view your site?
Is it the fru-fru graphics? Or the content?
What specific parts of your site are more important than others?
Which ways will someone want to view your content?

Do not forget that it is the content that will keep your visitors returning.
If the visitor cannot easily dive into your content than he/she will simply switch back over to Google and find someone else with the simple click of a button.

Now Think

The design of the site is much more important than the coding or graphics.
A good design will keep visitors returning. They’re the reason you’ve created the site after all.
Don’t dismiss the layout of your web site. It’s more important than most think.
So think long and hard about it.

Good design = Good web site = Returning visitors

Image credits:
Grand Street: Painter by moriza
I bought a Magnifying Glass by vivalibre574

First of all, what is a ‘minimalist’ web site?

Minimalist design is web design that is, well, minimal. There isn’t much to ‘em in the way of graphics, widgets, etc.
Most have a white background, one image/graphic (in the layout), and not much else.

Personally, I think minimalist design is often the best. (Note: often - not always) It puts the focus on the meat of the web site - the content.
After all, that’s what your visitors are here for, right? The content, not the fancy graphics. ;-)

So, now my question is, can a web site be too minimal?

Let’s take a look at Justin Blanton.com.

Justin Blanton.com is a minimalist web site - obviously.
But what I want to know, is it too minimal?
(Another example: Daring Fireball)

Sure, the only thing to look at is the content, but, there’s no personality to the site.
Let’s look at RandomJabber.com

Yes, RandomJabber.com is a minimalist site, but it has come character and individuality.
It’s memorable, and isn’t completely bland.
(Another example: Maniachal Rage)

Now, the question is, what’s the balance?
What makes a web site too minimal, and what makes a web site memorable?

I’m gonna have to say the ‘blocks’ stuck in there.
Skelliewag.org is a good example.
Skelliewag’s logo, sub-header off to the right, navigation, and ‘popular posts.’

Those components anchor down the web site, give it some character, and make it memorable.

I believe the key is memorable.
If you can make something memorable, then it works.

Any thoughts?

What makes a ‘good’ web site design?

If you can answer that, you’ll be the best web designer of all time.

Truth is, good web design is one of the most complex things in the digital world.
Yes, one of the hardest things in the digital world.

I said web design. Not web coding. Web design.
You may be able to code a web site backwards in your sleep while hanging by your ears over a lake of boiling water and still not be a good designer.
Web design is not just coding.

Coding is the easy part of design.
Coming up with the layout, color scheme, components, etc is the hard part.

So what makes a web design good?
Like I said, if you can answer that, you’re a billionaire.

Though we may not be able to nail down all the components off good web design, we can nail down a few.
So let’s get started.

1: Simplicity and Contrast Draws the Eye

If you make your site busy and without any contrast (Like the Microsoft 404 Page), you’ll confuse your visitors.
They won’t know what the site is for, nor what they’re supposed to be focusing on.

A good example of simplicity and contrast is Expression Engine’s Home Page. The layout is clean, simple, and too the point.
The dark blue/grey background and white content area contrasts with the bright blue featured section. That contrast draws your eye instantly to the featured section - which also includes their sales pitch. Exactly what they want.

2: Icons Convey Ideas and Stick in the Head

Just look at Apple, everyone recognizes the apple with a bite out of it.

Another good example is Elixir Graphics.
On their home page are three main icons: two test tubes (for their Themes), a radioactive symbol (for their Icons), and a brain in a jar (for their blog).
While they’re not as memorable as Apple’s logo, they’re very good at drawing the eye and stick in visitor’s heads longer than plain text.

3: Ease of Use

This right here is the most important component of web design - yet often the most ignored.
Designers will pass over ease of use for what looks cool.
Don’t do that.
If someone won’t return to your site because it’s hard to read, navigate, etc - then why bother creating it?

1ogro.com is an excellent example of poor usability.
Sure, it looks neat, and the flash based scrolling adds a neat effect - but it’s difficult.

Among the first things you’ll notice is that you can’t use your scroll wheel. That’s because the scrolling is flashed based.
You’ll also notice that the text is small and can’t be resized. Again, that’s because it’s flashed based.
And finally, there’s no about page or sales pitch. Sure, it’s good looking design work and all, but it’s missing it where it counts - usability.

They say the customer is always right.
The same goes for web design.
If your visitor can’t use your web site, then they’ll find someone else. There’s plenty to choose from. (Choose me! :-P)

Skelliewag, on the other hand, considers the visitor first.
The layout is clean, fast loading, easy to navigate, and easy to learn.
The About page is very prominent. The tagline is clear and stands out, but isn’t overwhelming. There are links to the popular post.
Very nice design - very easy to use and understand.

So Now What?

Now what?
Experiment.
I have just shown you three components of ‘good’ design.
What else is there? What makes your web site ‘good?’
Have something new? I’ve experimented with different design ideas. So should you.

Have a new idea?
Know of something that works?
Share it!

Image Credits: Spider’s Web by ScoobyGirl | Easy to Use by luisvilla