Reviewing 10 Web Design Concepts

BusinessWeek recently ran an article entitled the “The 10 Commandments of Web design”, where a symposium of Web gurus decided upon the ten most important elements of site architecture for this span of the Internet’s life cycle.

Below, we’ll review each of these concepts, shedding light and expounding upon what each “commandment” really means for developers.

1. Limit the use of Flash.
Although Google recently announced that they can crawl through Flash animations and index Flash Web sites, this obtrusive Web animation is still not recommended for corporate Web sites (See “Flash and SEO doesn’t mix“). Aside from this, Flash Web sites are not the most reliable from a usability and accessibility perspective. And on top of it all, these Web sites put a strain on users’ Web browsers. The thing about Flash that bothers me the most is that it has set an unrealistic expectation for visually appealing Web sites when looking through the general public’s eyes. Those not-so tech-minded are blown away by Flash, yet are utterly unimpressed with the Web sites that they use most frequently, are simple to learn and often revisited (Google, Yahoo!, etc.).

2. Don’t hide content.
Pop-ups and full page advertisements are out. Were they ever in? If your user wants to see an advertisement, make use of collapsible and expandable menus and page divisions.

3. The importance of white space.
Don’t make Web sites that appear “busy”. The correct use of negative space and white space is an often ignored design principle. Increase your typography’s leading, separate your divisions with larger margins and padding. Learn to use white space effectively and efficiently.

4. Minimize trends.
BusinessWeek targets glassy reflections, but I say expand this one to include everything Web 2.0 (badges, whimsical fonts, overuse of textures, plasticity, etc.). Be original and creative. Innovative, to say the least.

5. Name your company wisely.
Again, this can be lumped under the “minimize trends”. Too many companies and Web applications out there just sound so “start up.”

6. Do not discount the importance of typography.
An art form in itself, the main brunt of any Web site is it’s readable content. Make use of proper design principles and get familiar with an age-old study that will pay itself off many times over.

7. The immersive experience.
If users are leaving your site prematurely, you’re failing them. You’ve won the battle of getting them there, now place the larger victory in your mind. Visitor to customer conversion, elicit a call to action - whatever your Web site’s intent - lead them there.

8. Social media.
Bookmarklets are not enough. How else can you add social interaction to your Web site?

9. Embrace other technologies.
The big Web companies give you open access to their APIs. Integrate their data to provide your users with unforgettable and revistable Web experiences.

10. Content is still king.
At the end of the day, if you don’t have it, you’ve got nothing.

Read the original BusinessWeek article here.