Never put form over function. Why? Because it's crucial that visitors actually be able to USE your site. Everything you do must be designed to be as easy for the visitor to understand as possible. Everything should be functional first.
If you put form before function, you sacrifice your visitor's best interest for your own preferences. By definition, putting form over function means you sacrifice function--you make it harder to perform whatever task is supposed to be performed. You give up ease of use or simplicity in order to make it look nicer. Basically, you wind up with a lot of icing and no cake.
Don't get me wrong--form often accentuates function, just like icing accentuates a cake. Something that is visually pleasing often increases the usability by making it more attractive or by using visual elements to increase understanding. Creative design can often be used to make a task easier to perform. It can entice the visitor to take whatever action you want them to take.
However, on the web, there are frequently contests between form and function. Designers make choices between whether to make something look nicer or make it simpler and easier to use. For example, these are common ways of sacrificing function:
These are all examples of choosing form over function. Unfortunately, if your design looks great but is hard to figure out, your visitors will be gone. They don't come to your site to admire the looks; they come to use the site--to find information or to accomplish a task. Anything you do to stand in their way is a no-no.
Most of the time, a visitor's attention span is about as long as snake fur. They have no patience. If you complicate their lives, they're outta here. Other sites are ready and waiting to meet their needs, so there is no reason they should struggle through your site. If you opt for form over function, you're likely to opt yourself right out of sales. Not good.
When you're designing your website, don't think about looks first. Always make function a priority. Think about what's going to be easiest for your visitors to use and understand. Then create an attractive presentation to accentuate it.
About The Author
There are 605.6 million people online. Can they find your business? Jamie Kiley creates powerful and engaging websites that make sure YOUR company gets noticed. Visit www.kianta.com for a free quote.
Get a quick, free web design tip every two weeks--sign up for Jamie's newsletter: www.kianta.com
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Are you looking for somebody to build you a website,... Read More
Internet Explorer, created by microsoft has been the most popular... Read More
Before deciding on which web design company to choose, you... Read More
Physical therapists have unique web presence needs. An effective site... Read More
In cascading style sheets you can specify how your web... Read More
Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead... Read More
Using CGI scripts to add automation to your web site... Read More
Website design firms come in all shapes and sizes.When choosing... Read More
It's been said again and again, when it comes to... Read More
The way you design your web site affects your visitors'... Read More
The trend today to overuse animation in a website's opening... Read More
Content is the most important part of any website.The Internet... Read More
Are you thinking that it is about time your small... Read More
Have you seen Jesse James on the... Read More
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995... Read More
An ongoing challenge for webmasters today is to provide fresh... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
There are several graphic software packages available to help you... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
How often, men, have you come home to find the... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
On the internet we don't deal with face to face... Read More
Page ranking by search engines such as Google are not... Read More
It is common sense.The more time people spend at your... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task.... Read More
What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More
In this article I will give advice and tips of... Read More
Have you ever been to site with so much ad... Read More
If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping... Read More
If you've a website but not making a lot of... Read More
Since you'll spend lots of time and money to create... Read More
With the advent of the Internet a whole new vista... Read More
Public domain gives you a head start creating ebooks, ecourses,... Read More
If you're running a website or online business, your number... Read More
Back to basics. Forget funky design, good copywriting is the... Read More
10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...__ all short... Read More
Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More
Just what is web copy? Some people think that web... Read More
I do site reviews. Needless to say, I see a... Read More
What is a Website Template?Many smart and savvy businesses are... Read More
The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More
I see a lot of mistakes, but here are the... Read More
"It's good.""You've done a nice job.""I don't like it."At some... Read More
By following feng shui guidelines and techniques, you can build... Read More
If you are trying to sell a product or service... Read More
Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More
Good websites stand out from the masses of boring, hard... Read More
Web Design |