by Alex Valich
art director at bikini.com
Years ago, when I started as a graphic designer, I shunned the web and really was not interested in the potentials it had. I was working as a designer and art director in the fashion imaging and editorial field and at the time the web really didn't have anything out there to say "Wow, that looks great and is design sound."
Well years later and a few office changes, now I am an art director for an online content site. When I started in this field I came at it from a different perspective than most web designers. I was actually a graphic artist before HTML was invented. So my views of what design is and how it works is quite different then most web people.
I have a few problems with the current state of web design. My main problem is over design or what I would call inappropriateness. In most mediums you can get away with designing projects purely on a cosmetic basis. But on the web, in my opinion, it's quite different. You really need to approach all the development issues regarding a website and tackle them with a concept that works for that particular product or service. I find that lots of sites out there simply try to copy other looks just because they are popular without thinking that the music editorial site they are ripping off is nothing like, in concept or function, their service, product, or community site.
That's where it starts really bugging out the user. If they go to sites that make no sense on a graphical and design level, they will tend not to be too positive about their experience with that particular site or service. Users need to have design and development guide them through the site and point them into the right direction. It is not the website's job to say "Hey, we hired the coolest people to do our site, and it looks very futuristic! Even though, we are a bass fishing site." If you are a bass fishing site at least look it and don't rip someone else off and make your site look like a space station. I think your user would be more inclined to enjoy the site tailored to their aesthetics rather than yours.
And here is another trap, website art directors who get too selfish. This is a problem we see over and over again in this business. These art directors use too much personal gut and taste rather than educated and experienced decision making when designing for the online media. If you want to design something that looks like it came from space, be a true artist and do it on your own time. Don't force it down the throat of a client or job, unless you've been hired by NASA.
We all really need to remember that we, designers and clients or other web professionals, are trying to work for the same goal. We are all trying to design a better looking and working system of information exchange for people. So, instead of trying to show off let's really examine our users and think about what they like then design for them. But, at the same time, let's creep in our own two cents of the future design for this medium. Hiding that creative medicine in the dog food and make the dogs feel better.
Will designers and website owners ever get along? Is there a happy medium? Discuss this and other aspects of web design in degreeForums.
