Our Definition of Design

From most users’ perspective, there are two basic elements that would define a “good” website design: usability and how it is presented. That is the effectiveness of the functionality, efficiency and visual appeal.

Some designers get too caught up in the presentation, flashy animations and cool graphics and let the usability go by the wayside. On the other hand, those designers who focus only on how effective the accessibility is may let the visual appeal fall short.

The primary thing to remember is that the design, as a whole, is about what you are trying to communicate. If you want to design a new website that works perfectly well but looks bad, most people will not want to stay on your site too long. Likewise, if your website is a beautiful piece of art but is not easy to use, people may not want to figure it out and once again leave.

It is a problem all designers face when contemplating the design of a website. Keep in mind that both elements: usability and presentation, should work together as one unit so that visitors like the design but are also drawn to the content you are providing. Furthermore, it is an important fact that your navigation be intuitive so that users can find information and move about your site easily.

One final point to consider is the “consistency” of the website. It can be very distracting and often confusing if there are too many differences between your home page and other pages of your website. If there are differences, there should be a cohesive style that holds all the pages together.

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