Things to think about before creating a website.
In this tutorial I will explain:
- The main concepts behind web design
- Techniques to draw and keep visitors
- Important Elements of web design
- Possible elements to increase traffic to your site
What is web design?
So I recently read an article by Jeffrey Zeldman which talked about how web design should have a purpose, it should:
Facilitate and encourage human activity; reflect or adapt to individual voices and content; and change gracefully over time while always retaining their identity (Zeldman ).
So what does that mean?
To me I think that good web design is when a site sticks to a layout that is distinctive but simple, something that might change subtly over time, but will always be recognized for the same underlining qualities. Good web design must also be easy for the user to accomplish a given task.
The goal should not necessarily be to create a simple site. The goal should be to create a site that feels painless to use no matter how complex it really is.
By designing a site that is fluid and intuitive and inspires flow, you help new users get up-to-speed more quickly, reduce the chance that existing users leave your site to switch to another and create users that evangelize your site to other people. That results in more users, increased activity, and greater awareness of your site (Ramsey).
A great example of good web design would be Google. Over time Google has expanded significantly but its main layout/design has changed very little. Google also makes it very easy for the user to find what they are looking for on the web, which not only conforms to flow, but also sticks to its purpose.
What makes a website worth bookmarking?
A site worth bookmarking is a site which is not only visually pleasing but has a purpose and well thought content to back it up.
A purpose
The first thing you need in creating a good website is a purpose. There should be some goal whether that goal is a search engine, blog, portfolio, or what ever else your heart might desire. The second thing you need that is absolutely crucial to the longevity of your site is loyal/frequent visitors, and to acquire loyal visitors you must have compelling content.
Unique content
With the Web 2.0 revolution comes user generated content; but without a purpose, why would users put content on your site. But a purpose is only half the battle; you also must have unique content.
Of course, writing brilliant content is the biggest findability aphrodisiac. It promotes return visits to your site, and encourages your audience to tell others about it. (Walter )
If you are offering a service that is already common such as a social network you better have something the other sites don’t. For example Fark has great content which is why they have been successful since 1999. However the reason sites like Digg are successful is because they still had the unique user generated content but they offered something that Fark didn’t have, that is user ratings of submitted articles. Despite some websites success in entering a market already dominated by another site and succeeding, most do not and so if you are going to take on an already established website you must have something that makes your site stand out from the rest.
Typography and appealing Design
The next step is typography. Typography has been around since the start of written language and is a type of art where your subject is letters. I think the goal of a typographer is to create an eye catching unique type of font that is readable. Typography can be seen everywhere, from news papers to advertisements, and on the web. Typography is important to web design because the content of a normal website is almost entirely of text. The type set you choose defines a little bit of what your site is about.
Typography Video
The design of your site in someway is as important as your content. First impressions are always important and if you want to make a good first impression on your visitors then you must have a good design.
When doing detail work, “less is more” is about leaving in only everything that is necessary and making it harmonious. Let the complexity be in the simplicity—a design is not useful when it’s perceived to be complex. A design should be useful, simple, and straightforward—let the complexity shine through via simplicity.
In conclusion I believe that web design is creating a balance between purpose, content, and design that reflects the goals of the creator and appeals to the targeted demographic.
Design Code Rap
SEO Rap
Other things to consider when creating a website:
- SEO and ease of discovery.
- Tagging and Tag Clouds
- Keywords
- A Search Bar
- Links to social networking sites (Facebook, “Blog This”, Digg This, Del.icio.us, Google Bookmarks, mix, reddit, stumbleupon, tumblr, twitter this, FarkIt, ect).
- Email to a friend links
- Embed content into your own site
- News letters and mailing lists
- RSS feeds
- Micro-formats
- Valid Code
- Separation of style and markup
- Universal Readability (Site works in all browsers, can be displayed on phone and mobile devices, plays nice with screen readers, and simplified design for printing)
Sources
- Zeldman, Jeffrey. “Understanding Web Design.” A List Apart 249 20 Nov 2007 03 Mar 2008 <http://www.alistapart.com/articles/understandingwebdesign>.
- Ramsey, Jim . “Designing For Flow.” A List Apart 250 04 Dec 2007 27 Mar 2007 <http://www.alistapart.com/articles/designingforflow>.
- Hamid, Naz . “Design is in the Details.” A List Apart 254 04 Mar 2008 27 Mar 2008 <http://www.alistapart.com/articles/designisinthedetails>.
- Walter, Aarron . “Findability, Orphan of the Web Design Industry.” A List Apart 255 03 Mar 2008 29 Mar 2008 <http://alistapart.com/articles/findabilityorphan>.
