“Understanding Web Design” by Jeffrey Zeldman was a very eye-opening read for me. I found his message to be exciting and refreshing, and in many ways even energizing. He caused me to take on a new outlook when I view websites. Websites are works of art and should be treated as such.
Visiting hundreds of websites a week, pre-“Understanding Web Design,” I would have considered myself to have a pretty good eye when it comes to web design and website aesthetics. I’m an avid user just like anyone else and I know what looks good to me and what I prefer to see when I browse the Web. However, post-“Understanding Web Design,” I now realize that there is a whole art behind web design. There’s so much more to this craft than meets the eye and I think Zeldman did a beautiful job of conveying that message.
If we begin to view web design with a critical and artistic eye, then our websites will not only be more visually appealing but also more functional and user-friendly on many levels. I loved when Zeldman used famous works of art and compared them with entertainment medians. That analogy really got me thinking; what is the “Moby Dick” of websites? What web design is just as classic and beautifully arranged as The Mona Lisa?
Not only was Zelman’s language artistic and engaging, but I also learned some key fundamental tips on how to make web design work – and not just work but work well. Web design should encourage human activity, it should encourage involvement and interactive education, it should reflect and adapt to individual voices and content, and it should also be able to change over time in order to meet the growing needs of its audience.
Great design, no matter architecture or web, needs to be individual. Not everyone will accept its beauty because not everyone understands web design, but I hope that I am beginning to become one of those people who can properly evaluate and recognize brilliant web design. I know that Zeldman is definitely setting me off on the right foot.