Great Web Design Combines Functionality and Creativity
The Great Debate:
This discussion of design versus functionality is very essential in our industry, and open to much debate. Inevitably it seems a harmonizing act between developing a visually impressive website while not jeopardizing the usability is essential.
If the site is tricky to navigate (http://lostworldsfairs.com/atlantis/) then customers will certainly leave the website altogether, which beats the objective of obtaining a web reputation to promote the business or success of the website/company and help increase product sales in the first place
The responsibility lies with the design to ensure whichever page the user lands on carries impact and keeps the user interested. The page needs to stand out from the millions of others, it needs to look beautiful, it needs to inspire, it needs to be creative, it needs to have the ‘wow’ factor.
But what’s the point if no thought has been given to the functionality? What’s the point of having the most creative, inspiring, impact-full website out there if it doesn’t work? Or worse still, if nobody can find it?
After countless research and working with many clients over the years I have found that functionality goes together with recognizing your viewers. This is critical to the structure of the entire internet, as web designers and a web company we will have to get the website usable and attractive to the market.
For example, a website built for information or to showcase products and services to the senior generation of online user’s needs clearness, bold navigation that will comfortably guide the audience around the site and doesn’t alter from page to page, the user will need reassurance that they are on the same site. Design will need to compliment the way the pages are layed out, the articles, products and other content will also be important.
For the more youthful target audiences or maybe the design community, an opportunity arises to let the creativity flow and allow for some experimentation.
My Closing Arguments on the subject:
Creative design must work hand in hand with functionality. There must be cohesion for example, between the visual impact of a search area on a site and the ease with which to find and use it. We, as a web design company, at no point must let the user be left guessing what a button does and where a link is going to take them
Functionality needs to be given clear thought from the inception of the project, clients need to understand that you can have both creativity and functionality. When getting creative with the visuals all designers should go back and think “how is this going to work?”
My closing arguments about design versus functionality is knowing and understanding your potential audience and keep a constant principle throughout all design philosophy.