A Few Insights on Web Design
Maybe it's just me, but I doubt it. I go to some, okay, most websites and they are so busy and poorly laid out that I just get lost in all the text and graphics. And I'm not even getting into how the site navigates. Was there some class in web design school that said white space is bad?
Let it be known, I'm not formally trained in web design. And I don't consider myself a web designer. I would consider myself a web developer. I build sites in basic html. I have built quite a few sites for myself and for others. I have also viewed tens of thousands of other people's sites. It is from these experiences as both a designer/developer and a consumer/user perspective that I have come to find most sites missing the mark.
Now I'm not trying to be overly critical, but there are a few key elements where I think most sites could be better. I'm assuming that most people or businesses with a web site would like it to be effective.
First, what the heck is the site about? What are you selling? What are you trying to communicate? What is your message? What do you stand for/against? If I can't figure out what it's all about in a few seconds, I move on.
Second, back to the whole idea of white space. And this does tie into the first point. If there's so much verbiage and so many graphics that I can't focus on one area. How long is it going to take me to figure out what the heck the site is about? I'm not here to read a novel, just get the information and get out. Again, if I can't figure out what it's all about in a few seconds, I move on.
Third, how long does it take for your site to load? I'm all for nice graphics and a professional looking site. However, I have a high speed broadband connection and it takes 30 seconds or more for some sites to load. That's way too long. If your graphics are in the way of site function, then maybe they need to be rethought. And again, as stated in the first and second points, if I can't figure out what it's all about, or even view the site within a few seconds, I move on.
Now with all this moving on, is the site as effective as it could or should be? You tell me.
Tony Rose
http://www.iswami.com
Let it be known, I'm not formally trained in web design. And I don't consider myself a web designer. I would consider myself a web developer. I build sites in basic html. I have built quite a few sites for myself and for others. I have also viewed tens of thousands of other people's sites. It is from these experiences as both a designer/developer and a consumer/user perspective that I have come to find most sites missing the mark.
Now I'm not trying to be overly critical, but there are a few key elements where I think most sites could be better. I'm assuming that most people or businesses with a web site would like it to be effective.
First, what the heck is the site about? What are you selling? What are you trying to communicate? What is your message? What do you stand for/against? If I can't figure out what it's all about in a few seconds, I move on.
Second, back to the whole idea of white space. And this does tie into the first point. If there's so much verbiage and so many graphics that I can't focus on one area. How long is it going to take me to figure out what the heck the site is about? I'm not here to read a novel, just get the information and get out. Again, if I can't figure out what it's all about in a few seconds, I move on.
Third, how long does it take for your site to load? I'm all for nice graphics and a professional looking site. However, I have a high speed broadband connection and it takes 30 seconds or more for some sites to load. That's way too long. If your graphics are in the way of site function, then maybe they need to be rethought. And again, as stated in the first and second points, if I can't figure out what it's all about, or even view the site within a few seconds, I move on.
Now with all this moving on, is the site as effective as it could or should be? You tell me.
Tony Rose
http://www.iswami.com
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