A design has so many meanings. What we create, a brand, an element, a finished piece, what is it? I ahd a conversation with my Executive creative director and my design team and we still could not come to a decision on what design is. Its debatable… but when we step back from the literal meaning of a design we need to realize that when we are creating a website we create an atmosphere, not a design. It’s different than print, its interface design infused with creative concepts and key visual easements. A place where the visitor can be engulfed in a presence. Sites like littledeviant.com or hotelgloriasubotica.com. All of the sites out there create a network of information that is free to all, the web, a cultural conglomerate of information.

Atmospheric Creation…yea I’m making up terms again but its a great idea to keep in mind when designing. To create an atmosphere, a presence, and experience… That is what makes a site different and impactful. I’ve written about cookie cutter web design before which is the complete opposite of this idea.

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Ever come across a site that launches all types of windows on your computer? If your not using Firefox, as you should be , you might not even notice that you are being assaulted with various windows popping up on each click that you make. I’ve come across a couple sites that make the mistake of not going the distance and checking all of the links to make sure that they all stay within the same window. Numerous sites overlook this creating a endless barrage of new windows while navigating through their sites. Its a simple concept that is overlooked is bad web design.

Its all about having a website take control over your computer. Everyone wants control over the page they are browsing through. Yet some designers/developers feel the need to use JavaScript or some other coding language to resize a window or keep it at a certain size. My personal opinion is to stay out of the users ability to control what is on a site. Once we starting forcing the user to either keep the window open or do something they don’t necessarily want we create a negative user experience.

Why is this negative? Well think of it this way. Say a user is browsing the web in a small window while working on other things on their screen. they open your website and BAM! it resizes to the full width and hight of their screen. Although we would like to think when someone is going to your site that they will have no distractions and become totally focused on what you have created for them. This is rarely the case. With the emergence of multi-tab browsing your site is probably one of the multiple sites the user is currently browsing.

The work around is to hint at the idea of allowing full screen or auto resize by a button or witty line implying that their experience will be a whole lot cooler. Once we stray from the idea that the user/visitor should be in total control we lose positive experience points.

Through design and layout we work to guide the user through a site not force them to take a path. Let them choose…

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Control is something we all want. Whether it be your car, your home or your website, everyone is looking for a way to cut out the middle man and manage everything themselves. CMS (Content Management Systems) give people who do not have any web design or development knowledge the ability to control the layout and content of websites. Everyone wants it now, but fail to realize the complications that are created for the designers and developers that create these systems.

When we create a website we follow a creative vision or project plan which guides in the production or successful web experiences. Throw a CMS into the mix and we must take into account every situation that would arise when a client goes to make changes to the original design. Pretty much idiot proofing every possible detail so that the design of the site does not lose aesthetic when items are added. Uploading pictures, writing sections, adding documentation are all functions of these types of systems. So what is the problem?

Seems like this would create less work to manage a site if all the control is with the owner, not true. When we develop websites there are certain guidelines and optimization techniques that we use to create a smooth operating system. Images and online documents need to be a certain size in order to speed up performance, files need to be named according to guidelines, and many other factors come into play. Open source CMS systems are available for incorporation into web designs which cut down development costs, yet the problem with these systems is that they can be very general and sometime fall short in the functionality that is needed for a specific client.

Custom systems are more fine tuned to the clients vision yet require a decent amount of development and creative direction to create an intuitive well designed interface. For the ill informed, this is an important ideas to keep in mind when you are looking for website development. CMS systems cut out management costs but require larger start up fees to develop the initial system. When shopping for a design company, make sure that the administration interface is as well designed as the site itself. Otherwise you may be stuck with a bare bones administration with no inherent flow or ease of use design.

Things to factor in when building a new website:

1. How often will I be updating my site?
2. Will I need to upload documents?
3. How much do I want to spend?
4. Do I want support for my site?
5. How much control do I want to pay for?
6. Will I be able to update the design with the CMS still in place
7. Do I know enough about web trends to keep my site up to date?
8. Do I have the time to manage my own website

Although there are many other questions that may go along with web development this list gives a basic overview of what to expect when diving into the world of the web and having a successful site. Popular websites need constant attention. Remember the web is a source of up to date information. Sites that are created and not managed correctly or fall stale do to lack of attention will get sucked into the black hole of the internet. Getting no hits and not doing their job of informing the people that land on your page. So if your in the market for a new website and want all the control to do-it-yourself make sure you have the time to keep your site up to date.

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As I browse the web looking for innovative web design from random portfolio sites, lots of sites, although effective in communicating the visual idea, look the same. A lot of creative companies, in order to create designs that are easy to use and effective, use template systems and stick to it. As an artist and innovator, straying away from these types of template systems, unless its e commerce, is a standard in thinking. Part of the challenge as designers is to encapsulate the feeling, aesthetic and vision of a company into an online presence. Using a template created for “insert company name” is a cop out in my opinion.

The ability to take a brand and create a unique user experience is essential to creating the best solution possible for a company. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of wire frames showing the customer the idea behind the design and inherent flow that goes along with the creative idea…Yet some websites fall into the cookie cutter aesthetic all too often. The sites we create look different, have a certain theme and institute some type of feel with their audience. This is the idea that continues to reflect positive results.

So where do we draw the line, good design takes time, but some companies want speed and perfection… How do we accomplish such innovation under such tight time constraints? The key is keeping your creative team as well as your clients happy with constant updates on progress and feedback. Estimate a time frame for a project before starting, this allows the time needed to create a winning design that will be both give your team the time needed to have fun with the project as well as not have you pulling your hair out when the client wants to see something faster than the original plan, rushing the creative.

Surprises within a project are only good if they involve shorter estimated time frames than originally estimated. All in all, its about creating something different than the average. There are so many new web technologies at our fingertips. The essential idea is to use what you need, don’t over power and create with the user in mind.

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The web has become a very interesting place with a multitude of different media flying around. Online games create a community of players to interact with and create a whole new digital life, while websites captivate their audiences with enhanced media usage and a creative flare. But as we sit, play, watch or interact, many fail to realize the depth of the media that they are enjoying.

Time and time again I run into the issue of having to explain my creative process to my clients. The creative mind works in such a way that people who are not creative or don’t think creatively, are not prone to understand the scope of a project or the detail involved in producing a creative project that is unique and successful.

As I sit in my office and take a break from the usual, playing world of warcraft as my 65 druid, yes I’m a geek, I can’t help but think about the depth of detail that is involved in producing such a game. WOW is one of the most unique online experiences I have ever well… experienced… the detail and vastness of the environments captivate me into believing that I am part of the world they have created.

We can take a cue from such games as web designers. Blizzard has successfully encapsulated a major audience which continues to grow every day. Countless people are poking around the world that they have created for the user and raking in a cool approximate 1.6 Billion a year. Now that signifies a success. So what are the cues we can take as designers, well we try to create the same type of feeling with our websites, flash animations or what have you… Bottom line captivate your audience. Take the time to add that extra detail, that small innuendo or reference to your creative vision.

Also don’t hesitate to enjoy the creativity that you create… I get this feeling everytime I create something that I love. I sit back, look into what I created and smile knowing that my mind came up with something that is so pleasing to the eye. Remember your professional titles of “Creative Professional” or “Graphic Designer” only mask the fact that your an artist at heart…but businesses don’t hire artists… So sit back relax, create and enjoy.

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