Was what the article I read HERE at Digital Web Magazine was discussing. It was a very deep and interesting view on how websites have evolved into its worst form. All the factors and relations that the author speak of are quite rational though there’s one or two things that I might have my own personal opinion on it.
To start of this post, I’d like all my readers who are interested in website building to understand the conceptual model that has been done in the original article. The model has illustrated very clearly the thinking process of how companies tackle web design in conjunction with a designer’s view. Can’t believe that was one of the things I learnt last semester. :)
The article also hinted what web design would be molded in the future with just this 1 phrase:
Each company or individual investing in site design is buying usability and user experience. Design teams are dutifully grinding out personas and scenarios and matrices, trying to figure out how best to communicate to the people they need to reach.
This phrase mentions of principles that should be adopted by all web designers soon so that we can eliminate the need of designing just for eye candy. Website designing would have a more functional and objective purpose then what we might see now with overated full Flash websites and websites that have been dressed to just look good.
In the article, the author also explained one of the processes involved for planning a website, which is pesonas. What P-so-nas you ask? Basically, the process is about imagining yourself as different types of visitors surfing your website. Then you start listing down the assumptions(needs) they’d make while visiting your website. And my classmate; Mario, intuitively came up with the phrase, “..addressing assumptions is meeting expectations..” that explains the pesonas in just few words.
The one process or factor mentioned in the article was Environments. From my understanding, it suggested a standardization for certain elements. To me, it does have its good and bad but I’d object to a standard process since I am a designer. :P
Another sign of the future for web design is in ‘Enriching the user experience’. Now, when I even began to read the first sentences, one company popped into my mind right away..37signals. A company that has now taken web design by storm with just simple design with a lot of usability and accesibility in mind.
When the author spoke of desktop applications replacing web applications, it was a rather intriguing read but I feel it might take awhile to adapt that since systems like that would be expensive to build. Especially in Malaysia, price is everything.
However, hopefully with the emergence of more talented web engineers or software developers in Malaysia, we might be able to make it. To all would be web designers;
..the people who interact with our creations are physically experiencing..