If I mention the word design it's likely to call up images of creative graphics, artistic layouts, and decorative aesthetics. But is that what design is all about? Are all those fanciful wows necessary to have a successful web design?
While design certainly takes aesthetics into account it is just as concerned with the functionality of the thing being designed. From the Wikipedia:
Designing normally requires considering aesthetic, functional, and many other aspects of an object, which usually requires considerable research, thought, modeling, interactive adjustment, and re-design.
It's the 'functional and many other aspects' that are often overlooked as being part of design, but in many cases they are more important than the aesthetic considerations. How a thing looks is important, but if it doesn't function well it won't matter how beautiful it is.
When it comes to web design what are the other aspects that make for a successful design beside the overall look of the site? Some concerns beyond aesthetics would include:
I don't want to imply that the look of your site isn't important. First impressions do count in how your site is perceived and can make a difference in whether or not people stay on your site. On the other hand there are some who argue that an ugly site can actually convert better.
With the exception of industries like art, fashion, and perhaps even design, a beautiful site is not really necessary. Desired maybe, but necessary no. For most sites all that's really needed to is to remain above a certain line of professionalism, a line above which your site is clearly no longer considered amateur. Usually follow a few basic design principles will be enough to give your site that professionalism.
Much more than the way your site looks goes into the design process. While it's easy to think of aesthetics as design it's very far from the truth. Web design includes many other aspects including how well your site functions, how accessible it is to a variety of devices, and how well it converts.
When considering someone to design your site it's important to look past the obvious 'wow' your design can give you and look into how well they can create a site that effectively communicates your message and effectively helps increase your bottom line.
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Comments
When it comes to web design,
When it comes to web design, looks can be everything (for example 2Advanced) or as in the case of Google, rather simple yet functional.
Hi, Sarah
Unfortunately, putting looks before function may very well make a website unusable. I can think of only a couple of industries, where graphical elements may be abundant (but still with a usable site), such as model business, clothes, photographs, real estate, etc - where people need to look before they buy.
Other industries may as well use text instead of graphics in most cases and use only appropriate imagery, too.
If you take Google as an example, it is, indeed, a very good one. But, perhaps, not of what you intended to present.
First of all, Google was a search engine. It was the only thing it can do, but do it well. And people could only search on the website. So, the site was functional and extremely useful. The design followed function.
Cheers.
Thanks for stopping by.
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