Web design & content management.
How's it going? I’m Danny and I believe that design directly affects the way we see the world. Follow me on any of the networks below to get to know me better!
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© 2009 — Danny Garcia, all rights reserved (except where cited).
This is the first in a new monthly series of posts that feature artists and thinkers who have greatly influenced the world of art and design (as a part of p52).
This month's highlight is on Dieter Rams and, specifically, his list of 10 principles for “good design”. Included with each item and it's description is a brief note on how it can be applied to web design. I recommend you interpret these as side-effects of good design more so than specific goals and to visit Vitsœ for more on Dieter Rams.
The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
Ten years ago the implementation CSS was still very much in it's infancy and HTML Tables were the way websites were designed. We had basic layout options, poor usability, color limitations, etc. But technology moves very quickly, especially on the web. Take advantage of the technology you have on hand (HTML5, CSS3, etc.) to create innovative and interactive website interfaces.
A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
Think of your website as the product here. People go to your website to use it so be sure it is easy to navigate with the use of contrast and hierarchy to appropriately assist your users. A functional website makes for satisfied visitors but don't settle for that – pay attention to the “psychological and aesthetic”. A link doesn't have to be blue with an underline, it can be pleasant to the eye and usable at the same time – making it a good user interface.
The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
This one's easy. If you expect people to use your website then be sure to make it a visually-pleasing experience.
A brief introduction to Rams by V&A Films Online. The HD version on Vimeo is highly recommended.
It clarifies the product's structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.
Why does your website exist? Always be sure to create designs that are appropriate to their cause, not the other way around. This means you might have to skip out on using that nifty glossy text for the menu bar or those CSS rotate transforms every once in a while.
Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user's self-expression.
I've seen many designers go too far with stylistic elements that distract from the content. Good web design allows the content to be seen and expressed without having to get in the way.
It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
As web designers we have the responsibility to be honest in our work. Don't design things that aren't really what they say. Stay clear of tricking users into doing things like clicking ads, and even giving up personal information. More subjectively, make your designs a reflection of what the content is, not what it hopes or pretends to become.
It avoids being fashionable and therefore appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today's throwaway society.
I used to redesign every few months until I realized I was hurting myself. Put the time and effort into creating something that you'll be happy to keep online for a while. Don't bend to the will of the list blogs and adapt every style and trend that comes along.
Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.
Design things with love, especially when it's for your clients. Sweat the details and go the extra mile (sometimes that means testing for IE6 compatibility).
Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
This one stumped me until I thought of the Internet as the digital environment that our designs live in. Preserve, conserve and don't pollute our virtual environment – caring for the work you do as a designer goes a long way and earns respect.
Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.
Back to purity, back to simplicity.
Good web design does at least one thing (arguably): it communicates effectively. The best way to communicate is to remove the unnecessary and present the content with “as little design as possible”. How you interpret that is the beautiful freedom of design because it's all up to you.
“Dieter Rams” was filed under Artists & Thinkers on January 08, 2010.