Q. So, why don’t you put more graphic content or nifty animation on your site? Do you, to put it mildly, suck like an Electrolux as a web designer?
A. No.
As a matter of fact, I am a pretty damn good web designer. I learned layout and design the hard way – working at a newspaper. I am knowledgeable in the use of colors, fonts, spacing, and proportion. I even understand that white space is my friend.
I understand marketing and advertising, and all the tricks that can be used to get a message across visually. I am conversant in most web technologies, and if I don’t know how to do it, you can bet your sweet bippy that I can learn it from a manual in five days or less.
I am also highly creative. In short, I can build a graphic-intensive, bleeding-edge-technology website that will stun, amaze, and possibly send you into convulsive spasms of joy. It would be beautiful and terrifying to behold.
And I used to build those monsters regularly.
Don’t get me wrong. I respect the hell out of people like Eric Hunsperger (shameless plug for a buddy). His design has always been innovative, and downright beautiful. And he manages to pull that off in spite of people who just don’t get it. Seriously, if you need a web presence for your company, he’s your guy. And I also understand that sometimes you have to bludgeon people with technology to prove that you know technology. As a business, it’s difficult to stand out in a forest where every tree looks just like you without blowing some visual trumpets. But…
I started having an ongoing debate with Jim Stagg. One of many ongoing debates with Jim Stagg. Our debates usually go something like this:
J – No really, you should give X a try. It’s pretty cool.
K – I don’t know. I’m pretty comfortable doing this task like this.
J – Yeah, but you could do it better this way.
K – I don’t know. I’m pretty comfortable doing this task like this.
J – C’mon. You know you want to do this.
K – I don’t know. I’m pretty comfortable doing this task like this.
J – Ok, fine. I’ll sit right here and show you how freakin’ cool this is.
K – I don’t know. I’m pretty comfortable doing this task like this.
J – See, this little button does this.
K – Hey. I could build a mega-bad-ass coffee maker with this.
J – Woah, cheetah. I’m just trying to show you how to use a pencil instead of chiseling in slate.
K – But…
And it goes on from there. Someday, I’m going to catch Jim while he’s wrong about something, and I’m going to ridicule him mercilessly for about a decade..
The debate of the moment was on the positive benefits of a minimalist approach to web design. Jim is a firm believer in the less-flash, more-usability school of thought. We had the usual rounds of sparring, and out of that conversation came what I am going to call Newman’s Law™.
Newman’s Law™ states: The quicker someone can get the information they need, the quicker they can get on with utilizing that information. The quicker they can get on with utilizing that information, the more comfortable they’re going to be. And the more comfortable they are, the more likely they are to use you to fulfill their information jones.
How does this rule apply to a personal web site? Well, it actually applies to everything except sex. Shopping in a grocery store, using software, calling your Mom for advice.
And in my case, a personal web site. You see, I really do build this site for other people to come and visit. It gives me a charge to know that people view my site, even if it’s just a few close friends. My web sites are just that – MY web sites. I’m not trying to sell you something. I don’t need to grab your attention with Shockwave and hold you captive while a full orchestra plays background music on a 56k stream.
My sites are content driven, and actually have something to say. If you’re at my site, I want you to read what I’ve written. And you’re more likely to do that if you can get to it quickly, and then be on your way. If I can get you here, and then have you reading something in two seconds on a slow modem, then I’ve done my job correctly.
Hey, I don’t think you should shun all graphic content. Sometimes a picture really IS worth a thousand words of copy. Sometimes, you can do more with less. It’s a tradeoff. I think the best approach is to understand your content, AND your audience. Once you understand those, using X to build for Y becomes a simple equation. It’s a damn shame I don’t use that approach in writing these essays…
For more information on usability, please visit http://www.usit.com.