An overview and analysis of:
"The Foundations of Web Design"
By Jeffrey Veen
This page is a web version of a few lessons from a book "Hotwired Style: Principles for Building Smart Web sites" written by Veen and some of his colleauges at Webmonkey.com. It is meant to teach some fundamentals based on their experiences. A true showing of the desire that web designers have to share what they learn with all the world.
Lesson 1
"Form vs. Function"
Veen begins with the most basic purpose of the web - communicating a message accurately and interestingly to an audience. There has been ongoing debate between defining structure and allowing creative freedom since the creation of HTML. Structuralists and Presentationalists all have one goal in mind, to fulfill the underlying purpose of the web, but have different ideas about the best way to reach that goal. It is up to each designer to come to their individual philosophies. One thing is certain, form follows function.
"Where to start..."
Web designers must think with many different hats in order to find unity between content, design, and interactivity. One thing is for sure: Do your research! Look at other web sites, look at HTML, look at books and articles about the basics. The most basic type of web page is degradable, which means it translates to other types of computers. Then research who is going to see the site, match the design with information and the context. It is pointless to go overboard if not everyone is going to be able to see the page.
Lesson 2
The Golden Rules of Web design - speed, simplicity, clarity
Speed - Making the page load quickly is just as important for those without bandwith. It may seem like features are limited without bandwith but there are still ways to make a web page look fancy without making it too complicated to load. For example, combing small images into one larger image makes the file load faster, or using GIF vs. JPEG files when necessary, or using HTML instead of images.
Simplicity - "boil it down to its essence" People are so overwhelmed with an information overload that they are reading the actual content less and less. The web is intrinsically hard to read just because there are no rules about how to read it. There are no rules about where to start, where to go, or what is important to read on a web page. The designer has to make it obvious.
Clarity - Veen compares designers, the web, and its readers to children in their capacity and interest to process or create information. Designers key into aesthetic, while the capability of the web demands simplicity, and everything has to compliment the attention span of readers which is about 10 seconds. How can this be accomplished? Be clever! One suggestion is to make sure to use images that match content. Give the reader a path to follow and let them explore it.
Lesson 3
Building with the Basics
Rule One: Don't put hyperlinks in the middle of paragraphs! They're distracting, put them somewhere else.
Rule Two: Use appropriate multimedia for the audience's capabilities. Balancing bandwith and degradability.
Rule Three: Categorize for the surfer, not the server. Paths need to be simple and easy to follow.
Rule Four: Interactivity is the new buzzword but it can be complicated...and creepy. Simplicity and privacy is more important to users.