Real World Web Design

Why the focus on “the real world?”

When I started Asterisk I was pretty new to the whole “blogging” thing. In fact, although I’d had a personal site that was updated fairly frequently with similar type content to what I’ve got now, I didn’t understand the concept of a “Web log.”

I read Zeldman, Evolt and Digital Web. I’d written for A List Apart, had engaged in all sorts of discussions on lists and was just beginning to get involved with the Web design community. It was an exciting time for me.

I also noticed that many of the articles I’d read, and many of the discussions (flame wars) I’d had, were very far afield from what I dealt with in my daily work. This got me to questioning the validity of some of what was going on in the community.

I kept thinking, “that is great, but in the real world, I can’t do that.” I started talking to other folks about this and found out that many folks had been turned off of online discussions and Web design sites because of this very thing.

To much of what was being talked about wasn’t practical—wasn’t “real” enough. I wanted to bring the theory together with the practice and create discussion around that. I’ve been trying to do that with Asterisk. It seems to be working rather well.

Of course, I’m not the only one doing this. As times have changed and more and more people are self-publishing, I’m beginning to see all sorts of great, “real”, discussion out here on the Web. This, my friends, is a great thing and it extends beyond the Web design community.

But I digress.

Quality Web Design in The Real World

Let’s talk brass tacks. What makes a quality Web design in the real world? Is this even something we can nail down. With every project the measure of quality and success will be different. Having said that I’m going to give it a shot.

Update 8/17: The following list reflects what how I think it should be, not how it is. To say every project I work on has clearly defined goals is a joke. This list isn’t very “real” at all! I wrote a follow up, to try and set the record straight.

A quality “real world” Web design:

• Has clearly defined goals. You need to have clear goals laid out before you begin any Web design project. Without them your chances of success are slim at best.
• Is designed with users/visitors/readers in mind. User-centered design is a must for a quality Web site. Period.
• Is built with Web standards. Web standards development practices are the way to go.
• Isn’t cheap. If you want quality, you’ve got to pay for it. There are many designers out there who undersell themselves right now, but don’t expect that to last. The cream will rise to the top and if you want your money’s worth, you’ll need to pony up.
• Shows Return On Investment (ROI). Gone are the days when you can just “stick something up there” on the Web. In the real world you need to be able to show ROI and make sure the people paying the bills are getting what they paid for.
• Is accessible. There is no reason why a Web site shouldn’t be accessible. Not one.
• Isn’t perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect Web site, but a great Web designer doing their best will be better than most. Trying to achieve the perfect design on the Web is a road to nowhere. Concentrate on “great”—not “perfect.”
• Maintains balance. A good Web design will balance the best aspects of form/function, design/content and do it’s best to satisfy the goals laid out for it to the best of its ability.
• Is scalable and forward-thinking. Things change, sometimes rapidly, a Web design needs to have room for growth and the ability to adapt.
• Is simple. Don’t confuse simple with easy. Sometimes simplicity is very hard to achieve.
• Is what it needs to be. If a great Web designer understands the goals, their role in the project and is given the freedom and power to do what they need to do a quality Web design will be the result.

In Summary

Web design in the real world is about starting with solid design theory, adding foundation of Web best practices, mixing that with solid goals and creating a user-centered design that shows ROI in the real world. It’s about learning then actually doing—“walking the walk”—so to speak.

There is a reason why things need to be designed. All to often we lose sight of the goals, and that reason, and we need to remind ourselves that, as designers, we work for someone else who lives and works in the real world—just as we do.