Publication Date: June 6, 1997

Related article: Emphasizing the User in Your Graphical User Interface

Web Design Considerations

By Ken Shulman

Every Web design consultant has his favorite horror story. For James Hobart of Classic Systems Solutions that story begins with the intranet of a large corporation.

"It was a company with many departments, all of whom wanted to have a link on the home page of the corporate intranet," says Hobart, founder and president of the seven-year-old consulting and design company with offices in San Francisco and Chicago. "Because of the internal politics, none of the departments could agree on a design. As a result, there were 65 buttons on the home page. It was sort of like going into a Chinese restaurant for a quick lunch and finding 120 choices on the menu. For most people, these are far too many options. At best, they want just five or six alternatives."

Companies looking to create or modify their Web sites are often faced with scores of choices -- choices that can be overwhelming even for design professionals. What should the home page look like? How many links should be there? Which graphical user interface (GUI) would best suit the potential audience? Which graphics and animation should be included?

"One of the first things we teach our clients is to understand their user profile," says Hobart, who designs both Internet and intranet sites. "This is especially important on the Internet, because of the wide variety of people who can happen onto your site. Before you can make any significant decisions about the design, interface and bandwidth of your site, you have to identify your target audience."

As more and more companies stake their first claims in cyberspace -- and more and more people hook up to the Web -- Internet and intranet page design becomes increasingly crucial. Whether a company is trying to generate leads, disseminate information or simply change its public image, the look and feel of its site will communicate as much about that company as will the words it presents. And while there may be various motives behind a company’s decision to move onto the Web, most professionals will agree that the keys to a successful and functional site are few.

"Our saying is, ‘Keep it simple, stupid,’ " says Ted Robison, a partner at TDM Associates in Irvine, Calif. A two-year-old company specializing in Web design and communications, TDM’s clients range from billion-dollar companies to start-up garage enterprises. "The fact is, the people navigating across the Web want Web sites to function in somewhat of a similar fashion. The hypertext. The links. The tree structure. They want to be able to visit a site without having to spend too much time having to learn how to get around it. And without the fear of getting lost."

"People today have the expectation that a Web site will be instantly usable," adds Hobart. "This is especially true of intranet applications. They want a consistent feel and look, both on the front page and the subordinate pages. And they don’t want to have to go through a training manual or learning curve every time they click onto a new link."

Interface is not the only area where consistency and ease of use pays off. Web design professionals also know that page design and art are most effective when they are consistent with the design and art a company has used in print, billboard and television publicity. But with the majority of Internet users still connected through 14.4 or 28.8 modems, most design consultants advise clients to keep graphics and animation to a minimum. Still, this does not necessarily mean the site or home page has to be spartan. "I never advise anyone to completely redesign their look online," says Michelle Johnson of MJ Internet Consulting in Jamaica Plain, Mass. A former editor at the Boston Globe, Johnson managed the team that developed the hugely popular Boston.com site and Boston Globe Online. In March 1996, she opened a Web consulting service for small businesses and non-profit organizations.

"There are many illustrations and graphics that translate well from print to web, and they can be very effective in transmitting a company's message. One of my clients is a coffee importer for an alternative trade association," says Johnson about a company called Equal Exchange. "In their case, they're not selling coffee online. They're trying to educate the public about ethical or fair trade. We needed to use simple elements that didn't detract from the message. Their logo looks like a woodcut stamp, like the kind of lettering that's stamped onto burlap coffee sacks. We used that, and coffee beans for bullets. It didn't require a lot of colors, and it gave the site a very interesting look."

Ken Shulman writes from Cambridge, Mass.

James Hobart leads DCI’s GUI Design Workshop, Advanced GUI Design Workshop and GUI Design for the Web seminar. Please see the online brochures for program and registration information.

Related article: Emphasizing the User in Your Graphical User Interface

Please rate this article