The Proxority Principle in Web Design
In web design, the position of design elements and the layout of web pages is everything. So many cool, exciting techniques are available to help us lay out our designs (especially with CSS3 at our disposal) that we often forget that structure is as important as aesthetics.
How do you determine where content should appear, and how can a well-oiled interface increase website readability? This is what we’ll aim to uncover in this article.
A Review of a Web Designer’s 2011 Predictions
This will be the third year that I’ve sat down in front on my keyboard to write my predictions of things that will shape the Web industry in the coming year.
Before I share my predictions with you for 2012 (which I’ll do in another article), I thought I’d look at my 2011 predictions first and see how they panned out.
Minimalist Web Design: How Minimal is Too Minimal?
Minimalism, interestingly enough, is usually born out of excess. In all arts, in all ways of life, we start out by taking and adding whatever we can.
When we start to realize that more is not necessarily better, and that we can get by with less stuff, we try to simplify by removing unnecessary elements so we can focus on what’s truly important.
Quick Overview of User Experience for Web Designers
How many times have you been in the following situation? You just spent two weeks working on a design that you’re showing to a client. He likes it, but he wants to make a couple of changes that would take a couple more hours of work. Why? You don’t know.
He doesn’t know. Nobody knows. He just thinks that adding an embedded map on the right side of the web page is cool. He really likes his own idea and wants you to make the change, and you’re left with one of two options: make the client happy, or make users happy.
Staying Passionate and Motivated as a Web Designer
The Web is an odd industry to work for when you take the time to think about it. I can’t think of many professions where a person’s job becomes such a large part of their lifestyle.
The 9-to-5 job is commonplace for the majority of the working population, with few taking their work home with them. Can you imagine a tax accountant doing her work at home simply for fun?
Designing a Website’s Introductory Text: Tips and Examples
Many websites choose to display a short explanatory text in a prominent position of their web page layouts to inform visitors what the purpose of the site is. This introductory text, when crafted well, can help users quickly decide whether they’re in the right place or not.
A website has mere seconds to let visitors know that they’ve found what they’re looking for, and your site introduction is your brief elevator pitch towards that.
The Difference Between Design and Art
Good web design is far more than a beautiful site, it’s where art meets an interactive user interface and where, in my opinion, superfluous aesthetics takes a backseat to usability and the user experience.
Ensuring that user interactions are as smooth as possible is good design — don’t ever be satisfied with art alone.
