It Is More Than “Just Design”

Fact // Design allows the form to follow function.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

Many people regard design as decoration or the art of making things visually appealing. In fact, design is more about how something functions in its intended use rather than how viewers perceive it visually and emotionally.

Content, function and expected outcome are all related elements of web page design. The best outcomes may be created by providing functionality while allowing your message to speak to the user. This helps drive audience goals.

In order to do this, you have to understand and provide for the needs of your audience. Too many efforts are focused entirely on the needs of the website owner, when in reality the design effort should be weighted towards the needs of the audience.

Unsuccessful design may produce a product that is appealing to the eye, but if it is not functional, intuitive or easy to understand, viewers can only engage to a certain degree. Successful design is not only engaging on an aesthetic and emotional level, but it is also highly functional in satisfying need. The most successful design is so effective it goes unnoticed for its efficiency, but measured by its satisfaction of desire.

Furthermore, the palette of the successful designer includes more than just visual or esthetic standards. It also includes processes of building information architecture, a hierarchy of presentation, usability testing, prototyping and end-user testing.

The Takeaway

The main goal of design is to solve problems for the user. Content and structural design should be based on how users think, react and perceive the object, information or process at hand. Designers and website owners should plan every action and reaction to website content for maximum audience effect.

Furthermore, the needs of the audience should be placed very high on the list of priorities driving design solutions. This is counter intuitive to many, but extremely important. This reversal of priority is very effective in developing web solutions that have a high level of value and benefit.

Need help ideating a new design or refreshing an old one? Be in touch with the team at Momenta to see how we can help!