Designing for the Web Today
Designing for the Web is more like jazz than a symphony. When you design for print, you can control just about every detail, finely crafting your vision and then conducting the production each step along the way. Similarly, classical composers write every note in advance, even including instructions for how the notes are to be played.
The Web, on the other hand, offers far less opportunity for control. When you design for the Web, you start with a creative vision and then set up rules that everyone else involved in creating content from that point forward can follow. But you only have as much control as your initial plan allows you to have; once the website is live, it becomes shaped by its content. The design you initially created serves more as a brand standard for the website, kind of like the initial key and tempo off of which jazz musicians riff.
While one is not better than the other, the fact is that designing for the Web is just very different from designing for print. This month, I'd like to review and update some fundamental Web design concepts, as well as make some recommendations that will help orient designers making the transition from thinking print to thinking Web. next >
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DELICIOUSComments 
 Katie |
March 3, 2009 11:12 AM This is a great resource to have on the NF site. Nearly every project I've worked on in the past year could benefit from one of the points made in this article. Another point is that designers often create custom interface tools (internal page scrollbars, dropdowns) and don't take into account how each browser treats these differently. Yet another point to add! Katie |
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Chris |
March 3, 2009 11:24 AM Katie, That's definitely true! We could probably have an entire newsletter just on browser-related issues. Chris |
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Justin |
March 3, 2009 3:23 PM Chris, Great post. Could have easily developed into a whole series but you definitely covered the majors. Can't wait to see this in print. ;) Justin |
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Ed |
March 5, 2009 6:51 PM Great article Chris. Nice work. You write with a good voice. Cheers, Ed |
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Chris |
March 6, 2009 7:06 AM Ed, Thanks for reading, and for your kind words! Chris |
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Chris Butler |
April 15, 2009 1:47 PM I just saw this blog post from Viget Labs about another approach - the Cufón technique- for font replacement. Check it out. |
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Seo Singapore |
June 4, 2009 10:45 AM I like your analogy of Jazz. I do feel that it's more of an ensemble. There are several concerns out there. One, you need to make the site attractive while not making it look cluttered. Two, when you get the traffic, if your website is purely graphics and no copy writing, you might be losing god traffic. Thirdly if you have too much of the widgets and gadgets like Mybloglog, Digg, Twitter...yes it does add traffic but sometimes the website could look pretty messed up with so much plugins. That's why there's a fair bit of strategizing to be done before launching a site. |
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Chris Butler |
June 4, 2009 11:16 AM Seo Singapore, I agree- you're describing the "Frankensteinization" effect, which is a risk to any site that has both a client controlled CMS, and one that grows in functionality over time. That's also why design is not a one-time event. Over time, as new functionality is introduced, it's great to have a designer on hand to adjust the overall design to accommodate new elements. |
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Dennis |
June 9, 2009 10:22 PM Chris, This is one of my favorite Newfangled newsletters so far this year. (1) I love the use of more images. They really help to get your points across and also to keep the momentum going in the article. (2) I love the content in general. You should definitely write more about design. Many of your recent newsletters have been primarily about marketing concepts- they've all been good stuff- but I'd like to hear more about design and I bet so would many of your agency clients. Maybe a series that deals with tools, a critical approach to quality in design, etc. that kind of thing? With your RISD background I'm sure you have much more to say about that kind of thing... Keep up the great work! Dennis |
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Chris Butler |
October 2, 2009 11:34 AM Dennis, Thanks for the compliments! I agree that the images are important- you've probably noticed that the last few newsletters have had many more images. Many people look to the images to get a quick understanding of what the story is. I'll take your suggestion on writing more about design. I have a few ideas for future newsletters that will be more design related. Chris |
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Whereisaron |
November 9, 2009 4:56 AM I like your jazz analogy also, it's brilliant. Designing an effective web site requires more than just gathering relevant information and posting it on the web. Like a good paper or research presentation, a quality web project demands as much attention to the selection, organization, and presentation of material as to the underlying research itself. You should strive, above all, to be both clear and engaging in every aspect of site design. Without the first, you will quickly lose your audience. Without the second, you'll never catch their attention in the first place. Aron Kayu Jati | Wheatgrass Grow | Kefir Grains |
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Kayu Jati |
November 9, 2009 5:02 AM I also like your jazz analogy. I have two tips to begin a web: * Consider your audience and your goals. You should have a clear sense of who will be using your site (mostly college undergraduates) and what kind of experience you are hoping to provide. What exactly are you trying to accomplish here? Why is this important? * Plan your site on paper first. You can draw a "family tree" of pages with arrows indicating links. Or you can make a hierarchical outline. Either way, it is essential to organize your information and lay out the architecture of your site before attempting to implement your vision. |
