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Elements Of A Good Website Design
One resoundingly negative consequence of the amazing advances in
computing power over the last 25 or so years is the notion, still
popular despite constant debunking, that all you need to be a
designer today is to buy a computer (usually a Macintosh).
When over-caffeinated pundits were first promoting the term "desktop
publishing" in the mid-1980s, many said the new technology would
result in so many great new print publications (this was before the
Internet boom) that it would "put the First Amendment into
overdrive.
What really happened, of course, is that entirely unqualified,
untrained and untalented people got hold of a Mac, a LaserWriter and
some software and proceeded to crank out a few metric tons of 300dpi
landfill.
My, how judgmental, you may think. Oddly enough, for all the
counterculture tendencies of some, artists in general are among the
most judgmental and elitist folks around, and have no problem
observing (and saying) that people are not "equal" when it comes to
design talent.
A clever advertisement from that bygone "DTP" era promoted a graphic
design firm with the tagline, "Using Picasso's paintbrush doesn't
make you Picasso". Since this is a principle and not a value
judgment, it is as true now, and will be as true in 2050, as it was
then. Fact is, there are elements of a good design that must be
attended to and contended with, no matter the medium-print,
broadcast, web, even mobile phone displays.
Classic components
Think of the elements of design as the basic building blocks. These
elements will be part of everything you design, from consumer
products and furniture to magazine pages and billboards, whether you
know that or not. (For now, we will restrict our discussion to the
layouts that are common to print and web publishing.) It should go
without saying, but very little does anymore, that understanding
these basic elements will enable you to create more powerful pages
for your packaging, ad, magazine or website.
At the most basic level, there are five elements in any design:
1. Lines and linework
These terms do not refer to pen-and-ink or pencil sketches, but to
borders, frames and rules. Horizontal or vertical, thick or thin,
regular or irregular, they help define and delimit spaces around
various elements on your pages. Good linework increases both the
readability and "directionality" (see #5, below) of the design as a
whole.
2. Shape
Any enclosed area, form or contour in your design is a shape. Shapes
in most layouts are square or rectangular, but nothing says they
must be, and circles are useful, too. You can also use images to
create other, regular or irregular shapes.
3. Texture
Texture imparts a "surface" feeling, and is tactile in printed
matter, so choosing the paper stock-matte, weave, coated-is a design
decision, too. Textures on layouts meant for broadcast or the
Internet are visual only, but still key.
4. Color
Color is probably the element that most designers are at least
acutely aware of, if not schooled in. However, color is not required
in many designs, and some art educators suggest creating designs
without any color first. The artist, in this view, should then add
only as much color as needed to enhance or complete the design.
Another school of thought holds that color should be one of the
first elements determined. Experience and experimentation will help
every artist develop a good color sense and strategy.
5. Direction
Effectively designed layouts, in magazines or on your computer
screen, usually have a sense of motion. A good design will lead the
reader's eyes through the design deliberately, using color changes,
shapes, linework and copy placement direct viewers' attention to
what the designer wants them to see.
Balance and interest
Other considerations enter in to the process of making good design
choices, such as the feelings of space, balance, action and even
excitement. The important thing for young, inexperienced designers
to remember is that "less is more". One can often identify the
design work of a beginner by a lack of open (or "negative") space,
an overdose of motion or color contrast, the proliferation of
different typefaces and conflicting directionality. Rather than pull
every tool and trick out of the bag, the designer needs to remember
the ultimate aim of the layout, which for pages in print or on the
web is quite simple: Draw the reader in so you can deliver your
message.
It seems much simpler after, say, three or four years in a
fast-paced, high quality, well-managed design studio. One of the
simpler ways of judging a page design is to ask, Does it say "read
me" when you look at it? Frankly, some print and web pages look like
the backside of a rental agreement, while others seem designed to
confuse the readers or test their reactions to optical illusions.
The bottom line of good design is, quite simply, to attract readers'
attention, direct it in a particular way and, in concert with the
copywriting, make a positive impression. It is, after all,
"commercial art" at which most artists work. It becomes much easier
for them to do as they learn to leave their egos out of it and
simply do what is necessary, proper and effective. If they are
unable to do so, perhaps they should go get one of Picasso's
paintbrushes and be a different kind of artist entirely. |
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