“This car is an exact replica…of a car.� 2011 Mediocrity
Design
When Web Design Goes Too Far
Just as there are fantastic web designs launched every year, there are even more websites launched that are atrocious and go too far with design. What are the parameters for an artist or web design creator on knowing when to step on the brakes with their design?
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The most common mistakes made in designing a website are:
Too Much, Too Soon
Ever opened a website and felt dizzy seeing too much content, color, intricate borders and graphics? The top web layouts always have just one or two focal points, nothing more. In the first place, you don’t have to limit the website to just one page. However, you should also not bombard your main home page with too many directional guides and links to the other pages. If a web design has too much going for it, it will be its own worst enemy. Remember that a visitor to the website has a million other site choices, and so your window of opportunity to keep him interested is so small and be just a matter of seconds. The general idea is that a person should be able to tell within 4 seconds after opening a site what it’s all about.
Using The Wrong Design Elements
You may know a lot about web design, but you do not have to use them all at once. Neither should you be random about which design elements to use.  For instance, if the website has products to sell, then do not let design detract from the product so much so that the person looks at the design rather than the product. Neither should you have elements that stop a person from buying by using “come on,� “wait,� or “there’s more� kind of tactics.
Getting Drunk on Contrasts
The use of contrast is a great design technique, but it can get in the way, especially if you try too hard to create a visual smorgasbord battling for attention. On the other hand, many designers tend to disregard the use of contrast because they know the content by heart, and fail to look at the design from the angle of a visitor. Â Thus, they look at the overall effect, and end up using too light text color that affects visibility and readability.
Inconsistency From Top To Bottom, Side to Side
Often a web design gets attention because it has no focus, which means it’s not a compliment. Think of it as a room – you cannot have gothic mixed with country because they do not work together at all. It’s wrong to have a different theme for every page in your website, just as it can get to be too much if you keep changing the color scheme.
Creating a Navigational Maze
Web navigation refers to links to different parts of your website. An inconsistent web design uses different kinds of navigational designs in one page, or even in the entire website. Again, you need to maintain consistency. At the same time, the navigational keys should be concise and simple. This is the wrong aspect of the web design to “decorate.� It should be as easy for a 10 year old as it is for a 70 year old to figure out how to get to the Home Page or About Us page.
Making Web Design More Important Than the Content
Unless you are creating a design or artsy website, then content should reign supreme. The web design should not be the main selling point. It should be whatever the main focus of the site is. If anything at all, design should enhance content, and by doing so, get its due recognition.
Using Flash Techniques Improperly
A web design that incorporates a video that automatically pops up when a person goes to the Home Page should always have a Skip option. Making visitors go through the same Flash animation every time is abusive and inconsiderate. It will also cause a drop in interest. The same applies with music, especially in game sites. Not everyone wants to listen to the same tune again and again. There should be the option to lower the volume or put it in mute mode.
Playing Around With Text
Adding design to the fonts is generally a bad idea. People just want to read the content, not be impressed with its font, size, or color. It will also cause a problem with optimization. Thus, it is important to choose a font that is easy to read, and not be too small or too big.
Web design can easily go overboard, so the best way to avoid this problem is to have an objective independent person give you his or her point of view. If you get several opinions, you can come up with a consensus. Just choose your critics well.
50 Free CSS/(X)HTML Templates
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Design templates help build an identity for any particular website. Since the techniques are changing very rapidly within the industry, one must be updated all the time. Many designers download the pre-built CSS templates to explore more. At many stages, designers seek help in the form of inspiration that would help them get back to their creativity track. Or they just want to learn a thing or two about the structure of web-sites and build their own projects on top of “bulletproof” templates.
To keep you moving throughout your creative adventure, we have gathered some cool and absolutely Free CSS and XHTML Web Layouts. You can download and use them for your own personal and/or commercial use. Please read the license agreements carefully before using the templates; the licenses can change from time to time. Feel free to express yourself in a new style and… do not forget to share your opinion with us in the comment section below!
Free and Useful CSS/(X)HTML Templates
HTML5 and CSS3 ( Demo | Download )
JeansWebsite ( Demo | Download )
Lawyer & Attorney ( Demo | Download )
iPhone App ( Download )
StudioClick ( Demo | Download )
MYportfolio ( Demo | Download )
WesternShop ( Demo | Download )
CSS Heaven 1 ( Demo | Download )
Zen Design ( Demo | Download )
Shop Around ( Demo | Download )
Internet Music ( Demo | Download )
Nova Studio ( Demo | Download )
YIW Minimal ( Demo | Download )
CleanBusiness ( Demo | Download )
Pure Elegance ( Demo | Download )
Speed Racing ( Demo | Download )
Web Design ( Demo | Download )
Online Edu ( Demo | Download )
GrayCompany ( Demo | Download )
EleganceBusiness ( Demo | Download )
Coffee Maker ( Demo | Download )
BusinessTemplate ( Demo | Download )
PC Desktop ( Demo | Download )
Book Store ( Demo | Download )
Prestigious ( Demo | Download )
CleanInterface ( Demo | Download )
Grunge Template ( Demo | Download )
Summer of Love ( Demo | Download )
Business Template ( Demo | Download )
One Page Portfolio with HTML5 and CSS3 ( Demo | Download )
CSS Heaven 2 ( Demo | Download )
Silverblog ( Demo | Download )
Photo Pro css template ( Demo | Download )
Treasure hunters ( Demo | Download )
Simple Solution ( Demo | Download )
What One Thing About Web Design Would You Change Today?
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As Web designers and developers, much of our time is spent carving out little corners for ourselves: setting up stops along the information superhighway, creating hangouts to populate the virtual landscape. We shape areas of the Web as we choose to or as our clients command—like Neo altering the Matrix. Unlike Neo, though, we have rules to follow, standards to meet. Web development and design exist in a framework that dictates what we can and cannot do. With this idea of molding the Matrix in mind, we once again turned to our followers on Twitter.
In a recent poll, we asked: if you could make one thing about Web design different today, what would it be? To avoid repetition, we included a caveat: other than making IE disappear? With that, a wide range of answers flooded in on hash tags.
As always, we appreciate everyone who took the time to respond to the poll. Having a strong connection with our readers is rewarding—that’s one thing about the Web design and development community that we hope never changes. Below is a peek at what Web development and design would be like if our Twitter followers and Facebook fans had their say in shaping the industry.
Better Browsers
Even with the proviso in our question, most responses dealt with browsers—just not Internet Explorer. They also brought up how we build for the Web and how our work is interacted with, but browsers seemed to be the topic of the day. Judging by the amount of noise about it, the most frustrating problem is cross-compatibility between vendors. A number of different makers build browsers, and each browser has a unique way of rendering code; in this environment, designing and developing can be a burdensome task, and our readers would change it if they could.
Below are selected responses from our followers that offer a number of approaches to bettering the browser experience, and most of them deal with rendering code. There was variety in the responses, but making all browsers adhere to one set of enforced standards is an extremely popular solution. Compatibility was the focus.
- I’d make every browser standards-compliant… and every website look amazing!
- I would make every browser render the same code the same way.
- Kill vendor-specific codes. No more of this -webkit crap.
- Make all browsers be in sync. They are out of sync now. That’s the big difference between being a Web and graphic designer.
- As many have said, cross-browser standards. So much time is wasted creating cross-browser compatibility. I’d also like to see better methods for separating content and navigation forms.
- I’d ask all developers and companies to create one standard all-in-one Web browser. Need competition anyway? Here: plug-ins!
- All browsers should have a unified rendering engine.
- Standardize form elements across platforms and browsers.
- Force standards. The W3C should have to “allowâ€� browsers to browse the Web—and if -webkit, -moz or 90% of IE’s browser-specific bullshit were there, they’d block the browser. In a week, we’d have development heaven for all.
- Make every browser read visual elements mathematically the same way so that developers wouldn’t have to care about cross-browsing.
- We need a single open-source rendering engine (i.e. WebKit) that every browser could use and contribute to—and then we can scrap all other engines.
- Fix font rendering.
Improving User Interfaces
What else would our readers like to tweak? Another fairly popular response had to do with making alterations to predominant user interfaces, to make them not only more user-friendly but more engaging than the standard ones we so often come across. A UI should never be taken lightly, because it leaves a stronger impression than the overall concept or content of the website itself. The design might be the most spectacular thing to ever grace an app or page, but if the interface hampers the experience, good luck getting people to come back.
We got a couple of suggestions that might steer the community toward a more advanced UI experience. From doing away with roll-over pop-ups to a website-specific history of links for returning users so that they can pick up where they left off, whatever the approach, adjusting the UI was in our readers’ sights.
- Oh bloody hell, that question is easy: NO roll-over popups. Anything that obscures content on the page should require a click!
- Engage people with better user interfaces, lightweight websites and Web apps in order to create great user experiences.
- Great design + great code = amazing experiences = happy people = a better world!
- I would like to see more usability functions and a “resume� option to bring up the last links seen on a website when you return to it. That way, if you have to leave, you can return and begin where you left off—a history, but saved on the server side of that specific website.
- Push for consistency and usability.
- I’d have two versions of websites: one with no ads at all, the other with ads, etc. The Internet user would have options.
Come Together
Our Twitter friends also wanted to change the Web design community and foster a collaborative mentality that motivates the masses. Many innovative and exciting minds are working in the design field, and some believe that the best possible change would be if more designers came together to encourage a forward-thinking and creative environment. By working together, we could educate and strengthen the community, empower the honest and dedicated designers out there and relegate the con-artist crew to the fringes of the industry.
A handful of replies suggested that through the unity of designers, we could effectively guide the industry forward. This doesn’t mean we would all have to agree on everything and move in the same direction. It just means that a friendlier, more collaborative mindset could take the community to new heights.
- I would reduce hostile competition between designers and increase collaboration. IMO, too many designers do their own thing.
- Improve quality of and access to education relevant to the industry.
- I’d make some sort of service-level agreement compulsory so that clients could see those “free� and “cheap� website con men for exactly what they are.
Flash: Fix Or Farewell
The next item our followers targeted falls under a couple of the other categories we’ve already discussed, but a few people specifically addressed this platform, so we thought we should too: Flash. Some say fix it and keep it around, others say abandon it once and for all. We know the topic is divisive. On one hand, the platform has been used to create some truly inspired work; on the other, compatibility is not guaranteed. For that reason and others, some people have called for its head. Perhaps there could be a compromise, in the form of a stable and functional version that realizes its full potential.
The responses below make clear that both sides are passionate. Flash has done so much for the art and design communities that not giving it a nod would be wrong. Perhaps, though, that nod should be a final one as Flash quietly exits the playing field.
- I would kill Flash.
- Make Flash disappear.
- Somehow sort Flash so it integrates better. Don’t ever overlook what Flash has done for Web design and digital art!
Standards Approval And Implementation
Next up: the standards that govern the field. More specifically, let’s talk about the process by which those industry standards are approved and then universally put into practice. This does partially fall under the umbrella of browser issues, which kicked this article off. We felt we should also address the overly long time it takes for these standards to actually become standards. In this field, where staying ahead of the game and being as innovative as possible is all but mandatory, lags in the industry don’t help us break new ground.
Below are the responses in this part of the conversation. Speeding up the standards certification process would be a major step forward for the Web design community. Moreover, if the implementation happened across the board for all vendors simultaneously, all of our jobs would be so much simpler.
- I want instant adoption of CSS3 so we wouldn’t have to bother with so many vendor-specific rules.
- Web standards should be approved faster. By the time they are official, there’s a whole new language ready to take their place.
- Make Web fonts standardized and universal, starting immediately!
Modding the Box Model
We also thought it prudent to cover the box model and the way different vendors handle this element of Web-based projects. Much like the Flash dispute, there are a couple of different takes on this, and both turned up in the poll responses. Altering the box model math would work if all vendors, say, adopted the IE approach to setting margins and borders and padding around boxes. Rather than working outside the box like the other vendors (who require you to do math to set them), IE works inside the box to keep your div the size you intended. An approach other than with IE would steer the industry away from the box model altogether and just push the grid.
This would provide some level of consistency among the various browsers. Alterations that simplify our work are always welcomed, and cutting out unnecessary steps from the process would be a change for the better.
- Change box-model math.
- Replace the box model with a grid model.
No-Limit Thinking
The next item we’ll examine also concerns a box of sorts, but this one metaphorical. It’s a box found in the minds of many industry creatives and otherwise innovative thinkers, and changing it would be amazing. If everyone could break free of their mental boxes (the ones they can’t think outside of), the industry would explode. We’d soar to fantastic heights and open up unforeseen trails. No-limit thinking should be a required study for everyone working in creative fields.
Hopefully, the advice offered below will help you break out of your box. Usually, the only reason we don’t try something new is because we haven’t seen it done before. That should be a reason to go forward, not back.
- Make your work free of limited thinking. Why a sidebar? Why a menu? Why a content area? Why not re-invent it all?! Free your mind!
How Design Is Perceived
The last topic that came up in the poll is the way our job is perceived by those outside of it, especially clients. It’s a problem that bothers many in the industry. Unfortunately, some belittle the creative process, undervaluing us and our work in the process. We often hear horror stories of designers being disrespected by former clients. It can make the job much more difficult than it should be. This would be a welcome change.
Easier said than done, but admitting there is a problem is always the first step to solving it. Opening a dialog on the subject, and keeping the tone respectful, is one way forward. Information is usually the best way to combat ignorance.
- Change the client’s ingrained perceptions of cost and value.
Additional Resources
We say a final word of thanks to all who participated in the Twitter poll. Below are a few resources to check out when you have the time and inclination. Feel free to leave comments on what you would change about the world of Web design.
- The Web Standards Project
A grassroots coalition that fights for standards to ensure basic affordable access to Web technologies for all. - World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
An international community that develops standards to guide the long-term development of the Web. - The Interactive CSS Box Model Demo
Just what you would expect. Get a look at the box model in action. - The CSS Box Model
A comprehensive guide to the CSS box model for those interested in learning a bit more about it. - 20 websites to Help You Master User Interface Design
A useful post that teaches you the basics (and more) of UI design.
4 More Free Web Design Tools and Resources
It is always surprising how many fresh, innovative and always useful tools and resources appear from week-to-week from within the web design community. In this weeks design news round-up we take a look at four more cool and free new apps that may help you with your next web project.