The ABC’s of Website Design

Designing a successful website is a challenge because what constitutes a good website is a highly subjective process. To improve your website building experience, you need clear objectives and expectations, the involvement of all key stakeholders, and a clear grasp of these three core components:

We identify these three core components as the ABC's of website design:

1. Artistic and design appeal – Visual and artistic appeal of the website so it looks professional
2. Business process delivery – SEO Optimization, leads, newsletter delivery, ecommerce, publishing, etc.
3. Core Functionality – Operating servers, web pages, content, images, etc

Artistic and Design Appeal

Creating a visually appealing site is the most subjective part of the process. It is also, based upon my experience, the single most common point of failure in a website project. What a web site designer thinks to be a clever design may be in complete contradiction to a customer’s expectations.

And it is generally quite difficult for a non-technical end user to articulate in technical terms how a site should be designed. This is due in large measure to very different perspectives.

Some really clever sites are very simple – example http://www.google.com/ with mostly white space a clear brand and a search box.

Other sites are so complex and full of content, links, moving graphics, and interruptions that it borders on annoyance – example http://www.goddady.com/

Some sites carry a theme or common framework throughout the entire website while others have, no purpose, no consistency – each page looks entirely different.

Because of the unlimited possibilities of design, most companies with self-publishing features offer a couple of basic layouts (templates) and a choice of complimentary color themes. Microsoft’s office.live.com, which offers a free website to Small Business customers is a good example of this.

The more specific an end user is about artistic design elements the more likely a website project will be successful. And it is highly recommended that a professional graphic designer be engaged if the customer does not have existing design elements (graphics, logos, color schemes, etc)

Artistic and Design Appeal is primarily the responsibility of the customer or school.

Business Process Delivery

Determining the results or actions you wish to obtain from site visitors will help you design properly. There are as many business deliverables as there are types and variations of businesses. Some deliverables have not been invented yet, (think about twitter 5 years ago).

As you decide upon site deliverables, consider the following questions:

1. Is your site one-way or two-way. Are you gathering or distributing information or both?
2. Are you just trying to create an online billboard or are you seeking to obtain contact information i.e., email addresses for internal marketing.
3. Are you attempting to cause an action – such as an email inquiry or phone call or are you attempting to automate some process such as managing a newsletter subscription.
4. Are you delivering content for a fee or trying to sell goods?

There are limits, driven mostly by budget, as to what is possible with current technology

Business Process Design is a joint responsibility of you and your web site designer

Core Functionality:

Core technical function, noticed primarily when broken, deals with the basic operation of the pages, links, and processes (forms, calculators, video, etc.) on your site. The complexity of a given website generally hinges on the manner of its design and the programming language that generates the web pages, complexity increases the likelihood of technical failure.

Some websites are extremely complex, with many moving parts, authentication schemes, gateways to other sites, and integration with a corporate network. Other sites are very simple, just a few pages of code that display words, images, and links.

Techno speak aside, the criteria by which you will measure a functional site will likely focus on the following:

1. Do the pages, links, and processes operate quickly and without error
2. Is navigation of your site simple enough to find content quickly
3. Is content delivery convenient for site visitors – can they access and then process information quickly
4. Does your site place well in organic searches with the major search engines

Technical function is primarily the responsibility of your web site designer.

Summary

Many web site projects start and end with very different ideas. It is a dynamic and interactive process between design team and customer. And it must be understood at the outset, that change equals time and time equals expense, so clarity up front results in large savings during the project.

Clear instructions on layout, accompanied by specific color schemes, exact logo’s, trademarks, and graphics are essential elements of design.

Business deliverables need to be clearly set forth and prioritized. Ongoing reviews and improvements in this area are common. Be sure to give ample time for website processes to be evaluated by your site visitors.

Given the wide range of ideas expressed by your key stakeholders, it is unlikely that everyone will be 100% satisfied with every aspect of a website project, but finding an acceptable level of technical function, business process delivery, and artistic and design appeal is possible.