Web pages can serve to do a wide range of jobs, from providing information, or giving people access to rich interactive applications, games or digital art.
The design of every page needs to be appropriate to its job.
In order to design successfully, it's vital to know your goals.
We're familiar with very different designs used in print publishing, from tabloid headlines to magazines, billboard posters to food labels.
Each style has evolved to suit its own purpose. The tabloid headline's job is to grab the attention of a passer-by quicker than its competing neighbour. On the other hand, the food label might be designed so that its ingredients list is actually difficult to read.
In the same way, the purpose of a web page has a strong bearing on what design is appropriate. It is critical for the designer to be clear what the page is supposed to achieve before they start designing it.
Some examples:
- A corporate home page may want to project an instant image that is in line with corporate branding, such as "high-quality, smart, innovative and yet providing robust value for money"
- A web portal home page often balances a large number of similarly important competing demands: advertising to 30 different categories of information to be found around the site, displaying news headlines, advertising, shopping, gossip, search function, help, all while being small enough to download over a dial-up connection
- A content page on the same site primarily wants the visitor to be able to read an article clearly, while also tempting them to browse other content available elsewhere on the site
How to get clear on your goals
With your web page or site in mind, formulate its purpose in the fewest words you can:
For example:
Write it down.
Read it back, preferably out loud.
Answer the following question truthfully:
You may have to modify or extend the statement a few times until you can truthfully answer "yes". Don't worry about how you'll do it yet. This step is just about getting clear about what you choose to achieve. Focus on what success will look like.
Your goal is "My design achieves x, y and z". Note it's in the present tense. That's what you focus on - what it feels like and looks like to have created something that succeeds in all its objectives.
When you're happy your purpose statement is accurate, write it down and keep it to hand. It will help you arrive at a successful visual design.
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