Web Design Myths – Busted!!!

Hi,

Just yesterday, I was browsing through the net for some articles on web design and development and literally all of them yell out the same tips and tricks, of course in different language styles ;-)
Talk about plagiarizing plagiarism!

But what I noticed is, in their efforts to save mankind from creating ‘non-ideal’ websites; they have given way to some myths that now rule the roost.

If you haven’t already, just try Googling out some web design articles. Literally, all of them seem to propagate the belief of “All content and less or no animation” supposedly that’s the magic key of having a neat and popular website.
Don’t rule me out for this. I know content is the king! N that’s what gains the site its credibility. Also adding animations like sounds, java applets and graphics will slow down the loading process. And yes, visitors seldom wait more than 8 seconds.
But take a break, and think about it. All work and no play made Jack a dull boy. And all content and no graphics will no do better to your website.

A kid who logs into Disneyworld.com will not be amused to find info on the what-when-how of the company. He’d rather search for his Mickey and Minnie.

You know better what your site demands than the free articles on the web. Play smart and know where to use the animations and where to prioritize content. The trick is to maintain a steady balance between the two! Use animations sensibly as and when required and go low on the image size.

Now comes the question When is it appropriate?
Well sometimes applets are needed for some sort of processing.
All the Disney characters who swing and dance for the kids on the Disney website make use of the applets. The loading time too is not an issue because the image sizes are abridged to accommodate the screen space. And what is Disneyworld without music and songs? I’ll hate to walk in to a bland and mute Disneyland. Wont you?
In the same way, animation and sound might be appropriate for sites that feature online comics, online gaming, etc.

Talking about my own website that deals with website design services and all. You as a customer would not even wait to ponder if not for the graphics that illustrate my work. Let me share a secret. Many potential customers see your site as an example of what their site can become. And playing Plain Jane here will be no help. Chuck the content, its illustration that the customer demands.


And then the age old myth of "Good Web Design is in the Graphics"
I stumbled upon this site and took two minutes to realize that the large psychedelic structure staring at me was actually an attempt of the web designer to beautify the site. God bless the designing schools!
Designer graphics are cool and they serve to cut through monotony and bring in more vibrancy. But please don’t ruin what they born to do. Size does matter. Trust me does. I suggest you limit the size of the graphics so they complement the subject of the site without overshadowing it altogether.
And as for that designer... I can only hope that he stumbles upon this blog!!!

Hear all that is on offer, but when you get down to doing things, put in a little of that grey matter too.
Happy designing!