The Art of Web Design
BY ITW Consulting
ITW Consulting Corp
Web development might sound like quite a dull topic for someone who doesn`t enjoy or understand using computers. Even for those who do it might sound like something that simply involves lots of sitting behind a desk typing. However that is to do website design a serious injustice, and it`s actually a highly creative and multi-facetted job that could be likened to a form of art. As the internet and digital technology as a whole converges more and more and incorporates more and more different forms of media, information and entertainment, so the possibilities with web design spiral and multiply making it a highly creative task that can truly pay off in dividends if you know what you`re doing.
This convergence of medias can be seen in websites that embed videos into their design, have interactive talk boxes, or that link with widgets for Facebook and Twitter. In this way the website becomes alive and is at once moving, talking and making sounds like a living thing. Often a website design will open with a Flash introduction that sets the scene before automatically forwarding the viewer on to an information page. From here they might be greeted by a 3D Avatar, or a video instructing them on how to navigate the site, or just on what the business is about, or simply welcoming them to the page. This then gives them the opportunity to further browse and to interact with drop down menus and other exciting interactive interfaces. Web design then involves incorporating all of these facets to create a sensory rich experience that will engulf the viewer while still allowing a simple navigation and readily available information and that is something that takes a lot of skill and understanding, but also a certain visual design flare and business noose.
Website design doesn`t only incorporate the `flashy` bells and whistles however, but also the more mundane details and the more basic elements. For example the simple decision of how big to make the title is something that can dramatically affect the look of an entire web design. Do you want it to jump out? Should it be large? Or should it be smaller to allow for more explanatory text and pictures? Then you have to decide on what size to make the font – too large and it looks like the site was designed for/by children, while if it`s too small it may be hard to read and turn visitors off. The colours of the site are important too, and preferably should mimic the brand of the company, draw attention to the right areas, but also avoid being too bright and `garish` which can make a site look unprofessional and can put viewers off. Even for sites that don`t require lots of flashy video and animations then, there are many creative design elements that can make or break a successful website. These are all things that are important and that a web development company should be able to understand and select carefully.