First and foremost, a perfect web environment is one which is effective in fulfilling the purposes for which it was designed. Looking good is important, but not at the expense of effectiveness. In addition to style, a designer needs the right focus to craft the perfect web environment. Style allows a designer to make a site that looks great, but focus on the purpose of the site allows the designer to select the right kind of style for each individual product.
How to Select a Style that Fits
Web designers need to know one thing first: the product. Designing a website without knowing what is presented on the site makes about as much sense as prescribing medication without making a diagnosis. A designer should learn everything about the product. The more they learn the better. Just like shoes, web environments need to fit right in order to "make the sell." Finding the right pair of shoes requires more than just knowing what size they need to be. For a shoe to fit well, the width, height, and shape of the foot also need to be taken into account. Even then, fitting the foot is not enough - total customer satisfaction also requires the shoe to fit the activity. You wouldn't run a marathon in dress shoes, no matter how well they conformed to your feet or how good they looked.
In the same way, a great look does not guarantee that a website will do well. The perfect web environment effectively accomplishes its purposes, which depends on the product being presented on the site. Here are two major guidelines all designers should consider as they are constructing a new web environment. First, the designer needs to keep the target customers in mind. What are their ages, genders, professions, and hobbies? Knowing this will make a big difference. Second, the designer needs to consider the product itself. The style of its construction, the qualities that set it apart from competitors' products, the way it is marketed, the price of the product, and what accessories or other products it is associated with can all point a designer in various directions. The more information the designer has about the product and the target audience, the better off the designer will be.
Design Guided by Knowledge
Once the designer knows the product forward and backward, they can take action and apply what they know. The designer should make the site appealing to the the target demographic. This does not always correspond with what looks best to the designer. Designers should also try to incorporate the products characteristics into the web design. If the product is fun, the site should be fun. If the product is the next big thing in the technology world, the site better be also. Imagine going to Apple Computers website and finding a wood paneled background with wild life running around! Designers should take what they know of the product and apply it to the web design.
Preparing for Change
No website is timeless. Like clothes, the style and appeal of a website will change over time. In addition, demographics can shift and product changes may require the web environment to be updated to maintain a good fit. Because of this, a designer should craft each web environment with flexibility in mind.
A designer should never be afraid to make necessary adjustments, regardless of how personally invested in the design they have become. If the style does not fit, the site's effectiveness will be compromised. A designer should focus on a style that if effective, regardless of its look. If the design is flexible, and changes are made as needed, the designer can ensure that the perfect web environment remains perfect. This requires an ongoing commitment, but it is the consistent quality that will win the most customers. - 16039
How to Select a Style that Fits
Web designers need to know one thing first: the product. Designing a website without knowing what is presented on the site makes about as much sense as prescribing medication without making a diagnosis. A designer should learn everything about the product. The more they learn the better. Just like shoes, web environments need to fit right in order to "make the sell." Finding the right pair of shoes requires more than just knowing what size they need to be. For a shoe to fit well, the width, height, and shape of the foot also need to be taken into account. Even then, fitting the foot is not enough - total customer satisfaction also requires the shoe to fit the activity. You wouldn't run a marathon in dress shoes, no matter how well they conformed to your feet or how good they looked.
In the same way, a great look does not guarantee that a website will do well. The perfect web environment effectively accomplishes its purposes, which depends on the product being presented on the site. Here are two major guidelines all designers should consider as they are constructing a new web environment. First, the designer needs to keep the target customers in mind. What are their ages, genders, professions, and hobbies? Knowing this will make a big difference. Second, the designer needs to consider the product itself. The style of its construction, the qualities that set it apart from competitors' products, the way it is marketed, the price of the product, and what accessories or other products it is associated with can all point a designer in various directions. The more information the designer has about the product and the target audience, the better off the designer will be.
Design Guided by Knowledge
Once the designer knows the product forward and backward, they can take action and apply what they know. The designer should make the site appealing to the the target demographic. This does not always correspond with what looks best to the designer. Designers should also try to incorporate the products characteristics into the web design. If the product is fun, the site should be fun. If the product is the next big thing in the technology world, the site better be also. Imagine going to Apple Computers website and finding a wood paneled background with wild life running around! Designers should take what they know of the product and apply it to the web design.
Preparing for Change
No website is timeless. Like clothes, the style and appeal of a website will change over time. In addition, demographics can shift and product changes may require the web environment to be updated to maintain a good fit. Because of this, a designer should craft each web environment with flexibility in mind.
A designer should never be afraid to make necessary adjustments, regardless of how personally invested in the design they have become. If the style does not fit, the site's effectiveness will be compromised. A designer should focus on a style that if effective, regardless of its look. If the design is flexible, and changes are made as needed, the designer can ensure that the perfect web environment remains perfect. This requires an ongoing commitment, but it is the consistent quality that will win the most customers. - 16039
About the Author:
Danny Holley is a web design Utah expert and author. He is also the co-founder and lead designer at the Utah web design firm, Superior Design.