Comments on: “Prettiness” is relative.

By: Abdulrehman

Abdulrehman — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:17 +0000

What I believe and keep in mind when I’m designing is that the whole design is for the interface and the interface should be easy to use. Simple things are easy to use, so I try to keep the design not *too* complicated and yet more simple while keeping the readability and smoothness of the interface in mind.

By: Joe Dolson

Joe Dolson — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:59:29 +0000

I don’t think I’m being altogether black and white, to be honest — - what I’m trying to say (though possibly not succeeding) is that my concept of attractive isn’t necessarily the same as the client’s, and that my personal ultimate goal is to provide as attractive a web site as I can while satisfying the needs of the client. Sometimes this means making minor compromises to my design.

Certainly, web development isn’t just about ugliness or prettiness…but this post was.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:45:09 +0000

I can’t agree with much of this stated here. It’s not so black or white. I agree that ultimately it’s the client’s decision, but it’s our responsibility as designers to fight for what we think is best for the project. That is why we are professionals and not monkeys.

It’s not just about ugliness or prettiness either. It’s about the overall experience. Just because someone visits a site and doesn’t notice the design doesn’t mean it doesn’t make a difference in their experience. There are a lot of subtle ways to convey a message and things like changing a color really do make a difference. A client may not understand why changing green to blue would make a difference, but it could mean changing your site from a welcoming one to a cold one.

Also, it’s true that there are a lot of designers that aren’t considering accessibility factors when they create their designs, but there are also a lot who are putting out crap designs. There’s no reason why a good designer can’t make a design that is beautiful, pleases the client, and is easy to use and pleasing for site visitors.

By: Joe Dolson

Joe Dolson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:59:35 +0000

Creative license is great; but there’s always the possibility that a client will say “Oh, I don’t really like that. Can you do it in gray?” My reaction might be something along the lines of “Yes, of course I can do it in gray,” while I subvocalize “but it’s going to be very boring.”

Sometimes, a client just wants what they want. What I give my clients is the freedom to have their site the way they want it, within the guidelines I lay down: usable and accessible.

I don’t have the freedom to completely pick and choose my contracts…

By: Mike Cherim

Mike Cherim — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:18:57 +0000

Gotta love creative license. I will often turn down a job in which I’m not going to be given that freedom. What I like from the customer is solid content first and foremost, then an indication of what colors they like, any related graphics they may have that I can work with, and I like them to show me a site or two that they like the general feel of.

That said, if I do a job with conditions other than what I’ve noted, then I listen to the client’s decoration requirements and do it as they say — - unless what they want is going to make me compromise the site’s quality. If that happens then we have a hear-to-heart.

By: Joe Dolson

Joe Dolson — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:57:43 +0000

Yeah, you can run into problems when the client has expectations which are completely out of line with your own design aesthetics and aims. That’s one of the reasons I make sure to point prospective clients to my design gallery — - I want to be sure that they’ve seen the style I design in and have a realistic idea of where I’ll be coming from.

Working those basic expectations out with the client are a must before engaging in a contract — - it’s not at all fun to discover that your clients expect you to produce an interactive Flash site when there isn’t a single design in your portfolio which even USES Flash!

Thanks, David!

By: David Zemens

David Zemens — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:37:05 +0000

Nonetheless, the rules I will work to avoid are clear: don’t make it horrible, and don’t let it get in the user’s way.

These are words of wisdom, Joe. Seriously. I am still learning how to “not get in the user’s way”, but in terms of the appearance of the site visuals, I could not agree with you more.

My preference is to keep the design simple. As long as the expectations of the client are met and no user group is “hurt” by the design, then you have a successfull website project.

By: Joe Dolson

Joe Dolson — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:19:30 +0000

Yep. I think I said that, in fact.

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:42:03 +0000

While I agree with your points. There is a point were you simply cannot agree with everything a client or user wants…