I’ll be honest. I’m quite a virgin when it comes to creating/developing websites. But I am fascinated about the idea of creating a page that represents you or your client from scratch. So I was hoping that reading Jeffery Zeldman’s “Understanding Web Design” would help me see things a little clearer.
And I have to say… I’m still fogged up. I understand his point on trying to use references of comparing web design to architecture or the Mona Lisa to Bob Dylan poster. But his words leave me confused and questioning even more than before. Maybe if it was simpler and more to the point I would understand it better. Again, I’m a newbie when it comes to this. But I feel like I should be getting it by now rather than re-reading it over and over again.
For example, Zeldman’s definition for Web design is this: it is “the creation of digital environments that facilitate and encourage human activity; reflect or adapt to individual voices and content; and change gracefully over time while always retaining their identity.” So I’m thinking, okay. Make it your own yet being clear and to the point. Then he goes on talking about how Douglas Bowman’s Minima layout is used by many writers and it’s a great design because it feels like it was designed for each of them individually. What? So the best way to stand out is to conform and be like everyone else? I mean, I get it that you want it to look nice and clean and professional. But does it mean you have to use the exact same layout as everyone else to make it enjoyable and popular?
My head hurts from too many questions. I feel that he should have more focused on the point, to help paint the bigger picture of what makes a great web design. Instead for two-thirds of the article it seems that he is telling what not to do and criticizing/ commenting on the other types of media who attempt and fail at this “skill.” Again, I feel that I should get, especially since I’m a newbie on web design. But something just doesn’t seem to be clicking yet. Basically, I’m still in foreign territory and don’t really know which way to go.