While there are certainly similarities between designing print work and designing websites, simply because a designer can execute a great print piece does not necessarliy mean they understand the requirements for creating an effective website design. The construction of a print piece does not carry the same requirements as designing a website, but the same Design Principles are are utilized to create effective design for both media. To look at the problem at hand we need to define web design. Taking the definition from respected web standards advocacy organization aList apart, we will say that web design is the creation of digital environments that facilitate and encourage human activity.
Navigation
Navigation is the first consideration in looking at how to break up information for ease of use. How will the user navigate through the site? How many clicks are needed to access the information that users are seeking? What links have to be prominent on the home page and which will appear on a secondary page? Asking these questions in the beginning phases of design will save time and help to provide the backbone for the navigation.
Scrolling
Scrolling refers to what information you want to appear "above the fold," to use an oft-quoted newspaper term. Users expect to scroll, but the information above the scroll will be the first processed. What information do you want to be accessible and what impression do you want the user to have within the first seconds of viewing?
Typography/Fonts
Typographic options on the web are limited. When designing for a print piece the creator really has no limitations on what fonts are used (unless the specific project has font specs). Unlike print design, web designers can not predict which fonts the end user has intalled on their computer, and they must generally stick with "web safe" fonts.
Expandibility
Layout areas in websites can be expanded, squashed, and resized to meet the needs of the content. How will the text expand and move when this happens? Do you want the layout and content to stay the same while the browser shrinks? When designing for a site that the user can enlarge or shrink, designers need to account for how much information will be entered into the site. Making a design that will expand to meet content needs while still making you happy as a creative designer is always something to consider.
Interactivity
Having interactivity on a site will help to enrich the user experience by providing a way to give/get feedback, stay informed, and feel like part of a community. Interactive elements allow people behind scenes of the the website to establish themselves as experts and inform the user through newsletters, blogs, and message boards. More info.
Space
When designing a print piece, the stage, or designable area, is defined and unchanging. When we take a look at the space for website design we must realize that it is expandable and can be changed from viewer to viewer. Web designers must think in terms of pixels. Another challenge to be addressed is how to design a site that looks good on different size displays and how to cater to the statistics of people who have different display resolutions.
Expectations
The user expectations of a website differ than that of any other medium. When we visit a website we want to know what the site is providing within the first couple of moments of when the page loads. If the site is not designed for easy navigation and information gathering there is a chance that the user will go elsewhere. It takes as little as 50 milliseconds for a user to form their first impressions of a site.
Information is scanned on a website, not read
When considering information and how it is accessed by users on the web, the designer must remember that the internet is an active medium and reading trends are different than that of print. On average, website visitors have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit. When designing for a website, designers must always be thinking of the site's key message, and must use cues to prompt the viewer to read those things of greatest importance to the impression the site owners wish to convey. More info.
Links:
Comment icons provided by Gravatar.
Sign up with Gravatar to control your icon.
By : Nick Bolton
Thiis is just a test comment.