I have just read a fascinating article in Smashing Magazine, likening web design to artchitecture. The article points to three areas where both professions need to focus: durability, utility and beauty.
Durability, because your website has to be built on solid foundations so that it can scale in terms of size and in terms of handling an increasing number of visitors.
Utility, because your website is there in order to allow your visitors to find information out about you as simply and as easily as possible. It needs to be user friendly. It must also enable your visitor to fulfil your objective for the website; be that contacting you or buying something from you.
Design, because your website must look pleasing to the eye. An ugly website will discourage visitors from exploring further. An attractive website will encourage visitors to delve deeper.
Yahoo! Glue looks like an interesting new search tool. Enter a topic and it returns images, videos, articles and the conventional search results all on one page.
Despite Yahoo’s trials and tribulations on the stock market, they still run very good web based tools. Flickr (photo sharing), Delicious (boomarks) and Upcoming (events) are all the best websites in their category.
This is an excellent article from Smashing Magazine on how well designed, uncluttered, simple ecommerce websites work better and help you increase your profits.
Successful websites should have a clear objective.
Each page should focus on one clear message or function. Extra widgets or unrelated products should be removed.
Website users are becoming more focused on what they want to get out of a website and so websites should make it as easy as possible for their users to achieve rapid, hassle free results.
The article also showcases good examples.
My favourites are:
Apple - This redesign has deservedly won acclaim. It is the epitome in a clean and uncluttered approach to web design. There is a clear focus on each product and unnecessary information is jettisoned.
Bell - Similar to the Apple design; it has a very clean feel and the navigation is a pleasure to use.
Shoeguru - I like the way that the product image are central to the website. Great images are so important at enhancing the user experience.
