Communication is essentially what Anthology does. Sure, at the surface, we create some really nice designs and we develop functional websites - but websites function as communicative devices - and as I explored in The Anatomy of Great Design Part 01, great design starts with effective communication. So, the goal at the core of all of this is to communicate to your audience.

As simple as this concept may seem, it is overlooked far too often.

Let’s take websites for example. As companies explore building a website, the natural tendency is to make an attempt to impress potential customers. Too many times, the requests are filled with desires to hijack the user experience (not intentionally), create menus that move and sparkle, and bring attention to non-important items. These requests have the same goal as an executive that purchases a flashy sports car just to “show off” when meeting clients. At the end of the day, the car may be impressive, but whether the job is done effectively is what ultimately matters to the client.

When this tendency to impress is extended into web development, it cripples the ability to communicate effectively. Flashy design, gimmicky features, and unnecessary copy cloud the ultimate goals of the site. And, unfortunately, too many times, the web developer has to lay down and submit to the clients requests - and when that happens, the job is not being completed with excellence.

The problem is that when the site is finished and everyone has gone home, the company may be thrilled with the impressive new website, but if it does not communicate effectively and meet the needs of the users, it is ultimately a failure - it is the illusion that communication has been accomplished.

The next time you are building a new site for your company, keep these things in mind:

1. Deny The Desire To Impress - Users will only be impressed the first time they visit your site. After that, the only thing that keeps them coming back is functionality and ease of use. If you can say “that is coooooool,” it probably is doing more harm than good.

2. Develop A Site For Your Client, Not Yourself - Keep the user in mind when determining how you site will look and how it will function. The site may be about you, but it is more about your user.

3. Determine The Key Goals - And do not add anything to the site that does not directly or indirectly encourage the success of these goals. Stay focused.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to be heard in the comments section. And as always, remember to subscribe to the RSS for future posts on design, web development, and online marketing.

The anatomy of a great design starts with the audience, not the designer. The mistake that most young designers make is they forget the ultimate goal of their design - to communicate. Many times, ignoring the importance of communication hurts the effectiveness of the design, and thus, damages the integrity of the design.

The designer must be able to remove himself from the design and view it through the eyes of his audience. This process requires honesty and an attention to detail - if it brings the realization that the piece is not communicating effectively, then the design is flawed, and it should be changed. This is an extremely difficult step in design since it turns a critical eye on one’s own piece, but it is necessary.

The message does not simply consist of text and copy, it also is the mood and the tone. A dark background communicates differently than a white background. A textured element creates a different tone than a solid color. When the perspective switches from making art to encouraging the communication, the designer can begin to create great designs. There must be a distinct separation between the create process and the logic process, but both must harmonized together in a balanced act.

The key characteristic of a great design is that the audience does not notice the design; the design simply communicates the message without any barriers. If the information or message is hindered by the design, then the designer has not designed effectively. Any element that does not encourage the communication of the message, mood, or tone should be removed. It becomes a consist editing process - validating the design at every stage in the process. Ultimately, if done well, this refining process will produce a great design.

Check back for more on The Anatomy of Great Design, and make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed.

Donec sed nisl eget nulla euismod aliquet in eu leo. Donec tincidunt porta nisl, at pellentesque ante congue eget. Fusce luctus aliquet leo eget ultricies. Cras in odio vitae purus commodo vulputate eu id nibh. Donec eleifend, purus a congue lobortis, lorem tellus ornare orci, at pulvinar felis urna rhoncus odio. Fusce sit amet nibh sem. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi fermentum tincidunt cursus. Nam a massa nunc. Donec congue, erat eu malesuada elementum, tellus ante dignissim dolor, in molestie lacus lectus non velit. Nam malesuada convallis leo, at pulvinar ligula feugiat vel. Mauris euismod, purus non consectetur faucibus, tellus dolor cursus nunc, eu cursus lacus massa vitae velit.

Etiam id ligula erat. In fermentum malesuada felis, ut cursus augue tempor nec. Vivamus sapien orci, elementum in tincidunt eu, consectetur sit amet turpis. Aenean id turpis neque, non ornare quam. Nam ipsum urna, blandit vitae dictum vel, placerat et urna. Suspendisse in arcu nisl, eget volutpat justo. Nam non leo sit amet dolor gravida interdum sed et urna. Curabitur ultricies turpis sit amet augue consequat ultricies non non massa. Morbi sodales dui scelerisque risus condimentum at placerat diam consectetur. Praesent euismod molestie erat nec consequat.

Integer aliquet dui ac urna imperdiet congue. Aliquam dignissim purus et nisi suscipit mattis. Aliquam ultrices malesuada tincidunt. Vivamus interdum, urna eget euismod cursus, nibh ante gravida odio, in ullamcorper lorem erat vitae mi. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed sollicitudin erat eget tellus placerat sollicitudin. Nam ut rutrum est. Sed sagittis arcu libero, vitae convallis odio. Mauris lectus nisi, facilisis posuere interdum mattis, convallis vitae metus. Sed luctus, massa a venenatis lacinia, risus eros sollicitudin diam, non consequat ante lorem sed felis. Sed rhoncus purus consequat nisl eleifend aliquam. Etiam vitae orci at mi consectetur pretium ut ut sapien. Nulla facilisi. Integer non metus enim. Nulla lorem ipsum, laoreet ut egestas sit amet, tempus scelerisque augue. Maecenas consectetur odio quis lacus varius consequat eu et ipsum. Proin et metus magna. Mauris justo ligula, volutpat nec feugiat ac, dictum at augue. Aenean eget turpis lorem.

In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Suspendisse eleifend posuere est, nec fermentum dolor mollis quis. Curabitur condimentum, urna vel vestibulum malesuada, justo ante tempus ipsum, eu volutpat magna diam id sapien. Nunc a lacus tortor. Duis congue varius eros non sollicitudin. Nam pellentesque malesuada urna at faucibus. Maecenas in sapien quis est rhoncus dictum. Ut venenatis luctus purus ac ullamcorper. Pellentesque semper venenatis facilisis. Phasellus eros nulla, pharetra id rutrum vel, pulvinar vitae massa. Mauris eleifend porta magna id rhoncus. Nunc at velit purus. Sed hendrerit justo sed nisi pretium imperdiet dapibus diam ultricies. Pellentesque lobortis nibh in libero adipiscing sodales.