Oct 17 2008
What makes good web design? Part II
We’re going to continue our series on what makes good web design by taking an element that was discussed in Web design terms, the basics and breaking it down. The term for this article is look-and-feel. To recap, WSMS’s definition of look-and-feel states:
The look-and-feel of a website is how its branding and content are reflected in its design. ‘Look’ refers to the appearance of the web elements: text color, font size, header treatments, navigation design, etc. ‘Feel’ refers to the reader’s experience of using the website.
These terms are used together as it is the website’s look that will determine its feel—the two are intertwined. Successful web design starts with your audience. What are their needs? When you first consider your audience and what you are building, you can create a look-and-feel that meets your audiences needs. This will help you create a successful design.
Let’s jump right in and review some examples.
PSD Rockstar
When you first look at this blog, what comes to mind? Hip? Grunge? Stylish?
Yes, yes and yes. The web elements of this blog are all working together to create a cool, grungy look. The colors are understated and the palette is simple and pleasing. Even though the look is grungy, there is nothing messy nor dirty about this design. The background is subtle, allowing the content to stand out. The icons and graphics, while whimsical, are not cartoonish.
Everything about this blog’s design is trendy but not overdone. This is important, especially in today’s web environment. It’s easy to get bogged down with all the cool and clever gimmicks that are available for today’s website or blog. Keeping your design clever while still making it easy to navigate and use is key.
Hip, grungy, and fun. That’s the look-and-feel of PSD Rockstar. Not only that, the articles are good too!
Next up, we have CSS tutorial, by W3Schools:
CSS Tutorial
The look-and-feel of this website is drastically different than that of PSD Rockstar. This site design is sparse and simple. No background graphics to distract, no trendy navigation. Yet this website design is just as good and effective as PSD Rockstar’s.
Before you start thinking I’m nuts, you have to remember that good web design encompasses more than just nice graphics and navigation. Good web design also means ease of use, the ability to find information quickly, and in many cases a plain and simple layout. There’s a lot of information at CSS Tutorial and if you’re working on a project and need a quick answer, you don’t want to go through a lot of fluff to find what you need. That’s good web design—anticipating your reader’s needs and building a site for them.
And that’s what look-and-feel is about. Branding your site (the look) and making it work for your readers (the feel).
Related posts
What makes good web design? Part I
