Through my work as a web designer, I’ve come to realise that very few people actually care about a site’s design.
Most people use the net only to get the information they need. However, many websites focus too much on the design aspect, instead of being more concerned with the users actual experience.
This is why deciding on the purpose of your site should be the most important step in the the design process. Take this blog for example. I could go both ways here.
First of all, I could make it a design extravaganza, like a circus or casino, which leaves you sweating from your eye sockets.
That would be a good idea if the purpose of this blog was to show of my graphic skills (or lack thereof). But in my world, content is king. That’s why the next iteration of this site’s design will be more focused around a great user experience. If I set out to write great content, it should be really easy to find and digest too.
Too often I see a site that people purely visit for information utilizing design in a way that only hinders the user. A site on tax laws, news or any other kind of important information does not need that much design. It needs to be easy to use.
So let that be the first step in your design process. Decide if design or information is the most important part of the site.
(Disclaimer: I realise that user experience is also design, but here I mean design as in lots of unnecessary visual elements).
that very few people actually care about a site’s design.
I’m not sure if I agree entirely with you on this point. Most people care about the design, the problem is, however, the ability to determine what is and what is not a good design. People care, if they didn’t, why would people like you and me get paid to create designs that work. Both on the functionality level, but also on the aesthetic level (the part concering “bells and whistles”).
I see what you mean Håvard, but personally I get more complaints about sites that are hard to use, compared to the ones that are just ugly..
(Talking about complaints from normal people here, those who doesn’t spend that much time online).
And, as I said, I’m talking about design as in visual design elements that are unnecessary, and doesn’t help the functionality of the page at all.