Web Designers On A Fence

May 11, 2004 | 9 Comments

This is a subject (and post) I’ve been holding onto for a bit now, and today seems to be a good day to get it published. I actually wrote most of this a week or so ago, and was holding it for my new “Gorilla Web Tips” section, but there have been a few posts that have gone up that directly relate to the point I wanted to make with this. Strike while the iron is hot and all that.

So, part of being a Web designer is having a strong opinion. No doubt about that. Today Andrei tells us he wants us to stop using Trebuchet for body copy and Didier suggests to keep that body copy on a white background anything but black.�

Both of these opinions hold some merit and can be backed up to a certain degree.

But is that all to there is to the story?� Are these good ideas in every situation?� Of course not.� I imagine neither Andrei or Didier think that is the case, they’re expressing educated opinions, inciting discussion. We all need that.�

As Paul posted today Web design is, to a large degree, about sacrifice. The truth is it’s never as easy as applying a simple guideline, or even relying on your own educated opinion.

Fundamental Truths About Web Design

I’ve talked before about how with Web design there are no rules and that there is no such thing as a perfect Web site.� I think these ideas still hold true and will hold true for a long time.�

There may come a time when we will have a few hard and fast rules to make design decisions against, but that time is a way off, if ever.� As well, as long as people have opinions there will never be such a thing as a perfect Web site. I don’t see opinions going away anytime soon, do you?

Web designers are often caught between varying opinions and opposing goals, equipped with limited resources and dealing with fuzzy requirements. It is any wonder we are so opinionated? But we make do.

There are many ways to tackle a problem, and usually more than one of those ways is the right way.� I can’t think of one time in my career that there has been one right way to do something.� Every decision I’ve made has had it’s pros and cons, it pluses and minuses.�

Being able to weigh those pros and those cons and come up with the best possible solution (the one that makes everyone happy usually) is what makes a great Web designer.�

Stuck In The Middle

Web designers live in a constant grey area.� We’re in the middle, on the fence and walking a tightrope.

On one side we’ve got design on the other usability.� Or perhaps your stuck in the middle between marketing and engineering.� Or perhaps your rock and hard place are form and function. This could be a load of other opposites.� Whatever the case may be, Web design usually is done in the middle.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big middle and if you’re lucky there is lots of room to wiggle.� In fact I’d say the closer you can get to the edges without going over the edge would probably mark you as very good at what you do.

Choose a side, sure, knock yourself out.� Just don’t take it too far.� Web design is about balance, about compromise and about flexibility.� Let’s face it — a Web designer never has total control over their design.� Never.

Ok, you may be able to argue that statement, but if you deal with users, clients or stakeholders it’s 99.9% true.

The bottom line is this — For every rule, for every guideline, there is an exception.� For every opinion or preference there is an opposite way of thinking.� You may have personal preferences one way or the other.� You may have personal rules or guidelines you adhere to.� That’s fine.�

If you can’t tell me you’ve not broken those rules before, you’re probably not a Web designer.

Filed under: Web Design

Comments

1. Mike P. said:

Smacks a bit of the ‘tradeoffs’ post Dan C. did over at SimpleBits a while back.

It’s so true, tradeoffs and balances. We need to know the project requirements, advise when we must, and do the best to balance it all so that all camps are satisfied. Sure can be frust/ I mean fun!

Posted on May 11, 2004 02:18 PM | #

2. Chris Vincent said:

True, true, all of it. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to do this if there weren’t trade-offs. The reason I do Web design is that I enjoy the decision-making, the mixing, the problem solving, the fact that there are no hard-and-fast rules. If I wanted that kind of job, I would work at a factory. There’s no grey area there (pull the lever, pull the lever, pull the lever…).

Posted on May 11, 2004 02:33 PM | #

3. Keith said:

I’d forgotten about Dan’s trade-offs post. Yes this is along the same lines. I guess we need to be reminded every now and then and the fact that they can make things not only frustrating but fun and interesting as well.

Posted on May 11, 2004 02:36 PM | #

4. Kyle said:

It’s funny because it’s true. I too tend to get caught up in rules and such at times and I have to remind myself that no one out here has all the answers. I think it was you, Keith, who said if someone says they “get it” they probably don’t “get it” at all.

Nice post.

Posted on May 11, 2004 03:19 PM | #

5. Natalie Buxton said:

So true, so true. You never are in complete control of your own designs when the client will always dictate something that doesn’t gel, make sense or is downright stupid.

But that’s the thrill of the chase - so to speak. making something work that shouldn’t or finding a balance between the good and the bad.

Great post.

Posted on May 11, 2004 04:11 PM | #

6. patrick h. lauke said:

although didier made it a bit clearer in his comment that he meant it with a slightly ironic twist, to promote discussion, i already shudder at the number of people skimming over the “no black” article and taking it for unquestionable gospel from a guru…

there’s always a danger, when speaking in absolutes and without any moderation and proper explanation of the reasoning behind it, that people will either violently disagree, or simply take it for an absolute rule.

heck, a simple “in my humble opinion” would have sufficed as a preface.

almost reminds me of Nielsen’s style of “i’ll wrap my subjective findings in some spurious, un-referenced statistics and resell it as objective rules”… ;)

Posted on May 12, 2004 04:18 AM | #

7. cm said:

Keith,

Once again you stand for all that is fair and balanced. Thanks for bringing us all back to true north.

Posted on May 12, 2004 05:16 AM | #

8. owen said:

this is very off topic but is it just me or have you not changed the “song of the week” for a really long time now?

Posted on May 12, 2004 12:44 PM | #

9. Steven Streight said:

While I believe in innovation, especially in music (I’m a former electronic musician), I wonder if the uproar over “rules” and “guidelines” is due sometimes to a desire to “do whatever I want”–a childish whim.

There are many good guidelines out there. You don’t have to subscribe fanatically to any one “guru” or expert. But it’s good to know the rules before you break them, and have a good reason for breaking them, not just because you can.

I’m not aware of Nielsen deriving all his guidelines from subjectivity. I thought he was a former Sun engineer and conducted user observation tests.

Someone please prove to me that Jakob Nielsen proclaims “only subjective opinions.” I’m curious as to how this attitude toward Nielsen got started.

If someone dislikes Nielsen, please write a book better than Designing Web Usability or Homepage Usability, and send me a copy to review. I’m anxious to hear ALL your brilliant ideas.

Posted on May 14, 2004 10:47 PM | #