Effective Web Design

I was on the road this week working through a series of creative strategy sessions with one of our better clients, and we got into several long discussions about what makes a well designed site.  In this case the business objectives are focused more on Sales (ROI), so that’s where the conversation went.  Here is a summary of the items we tossed around over drinks, through the hallway and in several different conference rooms:

Simple.  Simplicity is your friend and white space is your lover.

Some clients will fight for everything to be on the homepage.  In most cases 80% of the people want 20% of the content, so keep your focus on the valuable information or user abandonment will take over.

How about some order.  Don’t create a rat’s nest if you don’t have to. 

A successful web language will have an organized structure of content, economize items on the page so users get maximum value from the least number of cues, and understand user’s capabilities and match that with the sites presentation layer.  You will need to address content layout, consistency, navigability, legibility, symbolism, color, and texture.

Color.  A little color goes a long way.
 

Most sites you see use too much color - which adds to user confusion.  You will do well with a limited palette that takes advantage of accents.  Don’t make this mistake:

Navigation is like breathing.  There should be no extra work involved in getting to what you want.  Don’t hide your navigation unless you are doing a site that is more exploratory and less ROI driven.

Loading strategy.  Load with intelligence.  Your initial download needs to be quick.  It is a good idea to load the most important content upfront (like your navigation,) and then load the rest of the content in the background.

Typography.  For body copy, choose a default font designed for good screen reading; e.g., Verdana, Arial, Georgia.  More creative fonts will most likely need to be an image,  so use with caution.  Image text helps establish the brand and build an emotional connection with the user.  On the flip-side, you cannot copy and paste that text, it is not as search engine friendly, and it takes longer to download.

Writing.  Keep it short!  Write with headers, fragments and bulleted information.  Use bold text in areas to prevent skimming.  Lists work well!  Links on a page add authority and keep people around longer.

Speed.  Do you remember that 3-click rule…it’s bullsh**.  The web is not about limiting clicks…it’s about finding what you need quickly with the least effort.  We are information hunters with no regard for anything that gets in the way of a direct path.

Keep client happy.  Adhere to the client’s business objectives and use them as a litmus test.

Speaking of Test.  Test, test, test.  As much as you know, you are only one person.  Usability testing, if done right, will give you your most valuable information.

There you have it…A week in the Midwest with a smart client that knows what it takes to make a good site.