Concepts of Web Design
There are probably as many approaches to web design as there are designers. And though different needs necessitate different design types, I feel some common guidelines and rules can be seen in any of my work.
Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you have major issues with any of my thoughts, don't fret. There are thousands of other designers that may come closer to matching your needs.
My Basic Design Guidelines
- Understand the audience
- Determine your goals for the site as well as your user's goals/reasons for the site.
- Unless your goals work well with the users goals throw yours out.
- Goals, like olives in a martini, should consist of no more than three; the fewer the better.
- Keep it simple. Google is one of the more complex Web sites in the world, but it doesn't feel that way to the user. Why should your site need to be harder to use?
- Don't reinvent the wheel. Many common site aspects i.e. menu placement, color schemes, etc. may make sense. It's possible a complete redesign may be confusing to current users.
- Observe your audience. What pages do they use the most? The least? How do they find you? What are their frustrations?
This is an incomplete list to help get you thinking. However, despite the brevity, even these fairly basic thoughts can lead to dynamic sites. If interested in more substantial and specific questions and/or thoughts, contact me and I can provide you with something specific to your needs.