What makes a perfect web environment? It is more than just a great look. It must have the right look for the purposes it is designed to fulfill. To design the perfect web environment, a designer needs to focus on the purpose of the site as well as on making it look nice. The skills that a designer gains with experience will help the designer make good looking sites, but it is the focus on the purpose of the site that will help the designer home in on the right look for that particular web environment.
How to Select a Style that Fits
The key to selecting the right style for a particular site is to know the product inside and out. A designer who doesn't know the product is ignoring the most important tool available. The more a designer knows about the product, the more appropriate the design will be. Think about what you need to know to find the right pair of shoes. You need to know your shoe size number, but a really good fit also requires you to consider other factors like the width, height, and shape of your foot. But just fitting well is not enough. To find the right shoe, you also need to find a style that works for you (the one wearing the shoe) and this has to be considered in light of the activity for which it will be worn. If you are planning to run a marathon, dress shoes won't work, no matter how good looking they are.
This is why a nice looking style is not enough for a website to be successful. Crafting the perfect web environment requires the site to be tailored to its purposes, and those depend on the individual product and target customers. As you work on your design, keep in mind the following two guiding principles. First, tailor the site to the customer. To do this, you will need to know as much as you can about who will be using the site, including how old they are, what percentage are male or female, what kinds of interests they can be expected to have, etc. The second important principle is to tailor the site to the product itself. Pay attention to the style used in the product design and its marketing. Look for what makes it stand out from other products. What kinds of activities and in what environments will the product be used. All of these things can be helpful in selecting the right design for the site.
Design Guided by Knowledge
After sufficiently researching the product and the target audience, the designer is ready to apply this knowledge in crafting the perfect web environment. The style of the site should be chosen to appeal to the target audience, even if the designer personally prefers a different style. Characteristics of the product should also be worked into the site design. For example, if the product is sleek, the web environment should be sleek. If the product is rugged, the site should be as well. A site design that runs counter to the product design or marketing can drive away customers. Designers need to use what they know to guide their development of the web environment.
Preparing for Change
For the perfect web environment, change is inevitable. As tastes and fashions come and go, the needs of the site will change with time. The target demographic might change, and new versions of the product or new marketing campaigns may dictate a new strategy. This is why it is important for designers to create their web environments to facilitate later changes.
In particular, designers must not let their own personal preferences prevent them from making needed changes. Refusing to redesign as circumstances require will compromise the effectiveness of the site. The most effective design should be used in all circumstances. Redesigning as necessary will keep a perfect web environment perfect. Although such redesigning takes a lot of effort, the payoff is well worth it. - 15615
How to Select a Style that Fits
The key to selecting the right style for a particular site is to know the product inside and out. A designer who doesn't know the product is ignoring the most important tool available. The more a designer knows about the product, the more appropriate the design will be. Think about what you need to know to find the right pair of shoes. You need to know your shoe size number, but a really good fit also requires you to consider other factors like the width, height, and shape of your foot. But just fitting well is not enough. To find the right shoe, you also need to find a style that works for you (the one wearing the shoe) and this has to be considered in light of the activity for which it will be worn. If you are planning to run a marathon, dress shoes won't work, no matter how good looking they are.
This is why a nice looking style is not enough for a website to be successful. Crafting the perfect web environment requires the site to be tailored to its purposes, and those depend on the individual product and target customers. As you work on your design, keep in mind the following two guiding principles. First, tailor the site to the customer. To do this, you will need to know as much as you can about who will be using the site, including how old they are, what percentage are male or female, what kinds of interests they can be expected to have, etc. The second important principle is to tailor the site to the product itself. Pay attention to the style used in the product design and its marketing. Look for what makes it stand out from other products. What kinds of activities and in what environments will the product be used. All of these things can be helpful in selecting the right design for the site.
Design Guided by Knowledge
After sufficiently researching the product and the target audience, the designer is ready to apply this knowledge in crafting the perfect web environment. The style of the site should be chosen to appeal to the target audience, even if the designer personally prefers a different style. Characteristics of the product should also be worked into the site design. For example, if the product is sleek, the web environment should be sleek. If the product is rugged, the site should be as well. A site design that runs counter to the product design or marketing can drive away customers. Designers need to use what they know to guide their development of the web environment.
Preparing for Change
For the perfect web environment, change is inevitable. As tastes and fashions come and go, the needs of the site will change with time. The target demographic might change, and new versions of the product or new marketing campaigns may dictate a new strategy. This is why it is important for designers to create their web environments to facilitate later changes.
In particular, designers must not let their own personal preferences prevent them from making needed changes. Refusing to redesign as circumstances require will compromise the effectiveness of the site. The most effective design should be used in all circumstances. Redesigning as necessary will keep a perfect web environment perfect. Although such redesigning takes a lot of effort, the payoff is well worth it. - 15615
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.
