Beauty and Design

February 23, 2006

Making an impression

Exactly what is it that influences our perception of a nicely designed piece? Well, obviously, the way that something looks plays a large role. I think that it’s also everything coming together as a result of a well-thought out design that elevates our opinion to a much higher level. You know something is different, but most of the time you don’t take the time to really think about it. Subconsciously you are aware of it, but haven’t identified each piece.

A closer look

First off, it looks amazing, but why do we think so? For me, it is usually clean lines and simplicity. But, lying underneath that, it functions well, and it’s also intuitive. I understand how to use it with little or no instructions.

As I am using it, I begin to notice the way that it provides functionality and I am amazed at its approach. The design actually enhances the functionality. I think of similar products that I might have tried and remember how certain issues were addressed, and this approach to solving the same problem is different, innovative. Now, why didn’t someone else think of doing it that way?

Instead of just figuring out what I need it to do, I take the time to explore what else it can do. I am not disappointed by its limitations, instead I am satisfied, impressed by the efficiency of the functionality. It does exactly what it was designed to do, no more, no less.

Inciting passion

At this point, I am wondering how I ever got along without it. I am definitely not going to use a similar product that doesn’t work the way this one does; it seems like going backward, a total waste of time. I again marvel at how it looks, and think design doesn’t get more perfect that this. I am so totally impressed that I tell anyone who will listen how great this is. I start to consider taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times, touting the greatness of this achievement. Ok, I’m getting carried away here, but you get the picture; I’ve become passionate about it.

Would I feel this way if just looked cool? Probably not. If it didn’t function the way that it did, I would have reservations. If it didn’t do things in an innovative and simple way, if I wasn’t as amazed at how it approached a previous problem from another direction, if it wasn’t as intuitive, I wouldn’t think it looked as nice. Visually, it would be flawed. Because, I would long for it to be great if only…

Judging the cover by the book

Now, I realize not everyone is as passionate or as observant about design as I am, but it takes everything; style, form and functionality, problem-solving and problem-setting working together to make something totally amazing.

Great design inspires others to emulate it and incites passion among its users. When all of it comes together, whether you realize it or not, it can greatly influence our impression of how it looks.

Designing Content

October 17, 2005

This is where you put your content

When designing a site, in addition to the overall design, I’ll do custom layouts for certain pages based upon the different types of content. I usually tweak the design of the site again to help everything flow together. I spend a lot of time thinking about how certain elements of the site will interact with each other. Since web design is not static, I make allowances for that in the design and try to anticipate the areas of the layout that will need the most flexibility.

If it’s a site that is going to be maintained by someone other than myself, or even if I am going to be the one making updates, a Content Management System is usually part of the process. This involves breaking the layout into blocks of content, and making templates that have repeating information such as a header and a footer. What I end up with is a basic framework that has one or two areas that I will insert content into.

When I go to add new content through a CMS, unless I am entering in HTML, I’m not really forced to think about what type of content it is that I am adding. Is it a heading, it is a paragraph, or is it a list of items?

Word Processing the web

Content Management Systems are really great at helping you organize, edit, and publish your site. But they don’t really help you with the most important part of the site, the content. Sure, they let you add and edit text, but when it comes marking up new content, choices become limited.

There is a whole interface devoted to other functions of the site, but just an area within a page for the content. Users generally end up with a window in which they can either paste in their own HTML, or use an editor that resembles a word processor. You wouldn’t use Microsoft Word to build your website, so why have a editor that looks and functions like a word processor?

A better CMS

What if there were different types of areas for adding different types of content? What if the editor could help the user markup the content without them even realizing it? What if content wasn’t relegated to just one page? What if you could markup your content and create new pages that assembled different types of content? What if it could do all these things in a simple and intuitive way?

I’m definitely not the first person to raise this issue, but web design has changed dramatically with the advent of web standards, and it’s time to see Content Management Systems reflect those changes.

Yet another redesign

October 3, 2005

This site is finally live, again.

After numerous design revsions, totally rewriting almost of all the code, and even a name change, I am relaunching the site.

I originally launched a previous redesign of the site earlier this year, but I was never really satisfied with the layout, and it was also really lacking any content that explained the purpose of the site.

New techniques added daily

It’s constant process, analyzing content and determining best how to present it and mark it up. Couple this with new ideas on design and CSS, and you find yourself redesiging redesigning and rediting on a daily basis and the site isn’t even live. It’s tough working on your own site, because designers have a tendency to be overly critical of their own work, and I am definitely guilty of this.

I’m still in the process of cleaning up a few things, but if I don’t set a deadline on personal projects, I may be here redesigning and recoding forever. At one point, my wife asked if I was desinging it one pixel a time, and because sometimes I actually do, this became the slogan for the site.

Not another design blog

I spend more more and more time lately advising clients about how they should be using their site, and challenging them to think about the way they present themselves on the web. I encourage them to think about their audience, and to communicate to them in a simple and concise fashion exactly what it is that they do, and what sets them apart from their competitors.

It is time that I take my own advice and do the same for myself.

« Previous Page —