Design Matters for Non-experts

As non-experts, we need to understand the role of aesthetics in design for our projects. Avoiding major pitfalls in design can make our work more useful, if not just more beautiful and pleasing.

Good Looking and Being Effective

Web Pages That Suck has been giving advice based on what not to do. This is what the writer says on looking good:

"What Is a Good-Looking and Effective Web Site? 'De gustibus non disputandum est' loosely translates to 'You can't have opinions about matters of taste.' Well, if that statement is true, this book is in a world of trouble. Fortunately for me, except for personal, art, and experimental sites, Web design isn't about matters of taste, it's about communicating and making money."

http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/sonof/

Read DesignTips, DesignDetails, InformationArchitecture and AccessibleDesign for more information

Looking like you

Virginia Postrel, the author of [Substance of Style] gave a talk on 14 Mar 04, outlining her ideas of the importance of aesthetics. The author points out that there is "a rise in design by people who don't have expertise". She gives an example that explains how expectations have risen for the non-expert:

"There are fliers from women who are looking for cleaning work... In the past, they might have just left a handwritten note, but based on these fliers, who am I going to call first? Blondie might be the world's best cleaning lady, but having a badly designed flier is going to hurt her."

Postrel says design adds value through: function, eliciting pleasurable responses, and meaning. Meaning comes from context and is about "standing out and fitting in". She gives examples about how we choose our clothes. She points out that you want to look like that which you associate with.

Read WebDesignTrends and FindingYourStyle.

For our own projects

We may be risking over-simplification, but her ideas can be helpful as a starting point for designing our own projects.

1. Identify leaders in your project area. Are they visual similiarities among them?
2. Consider your participants. What kinds of expectations would they have?
3. Look into your subject area, and think of other peripheral ideas that might help build the feeling of your project.
4. Look into lateral but related products or publications for ideas on look and feel.

Questions?

Do you have any ideas or questions? [Try editing this page!]

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See also:

• InformationArchitecture
• AccessibleDesign
• DesignTips
• DesignDetails
• WebDesignTrends