Thoughts from web developers
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19/05/11 - Is your website user centered?
When going through the process of designing a website a web development company will work closely with the client to create a site which meets the clients goals and objectives. During the process there are many areas that the designer and client will collaborate on, often the most demanding of these is the design. The design stage is one of - if not - the most crucial stages in a web development project, because the agreed result has a large impact on the users perception of the site and through association the business.
In order to get the most out of your website it is important that responsibilities are well defined. It is all too familiar that a client, who has very little, usually no experience in design gets so involved that they start telling the website designer what they think is best. After all it is their website. But as Jakob’s law says most web users spend their time on other sites. If your website does not follow the current conventions your proud design can be detrimental to your business. It is therefore no surprise that the designer, whom has been commissioned for their expertise, is in the best position to make decisions based on actual user habits.
This does not mean that designers should solely do as the please and not listen to the client. The client has a very important part to play in the design process. In particular to ensure that the designers artistic flair doesn’t distort the overall objectives of the site. Who is better placed to know what areas of the site will lead to the most business than the client?
By understanding their roles different parties will be more responsible for their areas. For example, when a client engages a web developer to create their website they assume that the developer will ensure that the underlying code is on par with the standard. This also applies to design, when a client becomes too involved this can lead to the designer making changes which they know will not work. A designer does have a professional responsibility to advise against doing something that would be detrimental to the end users. If the client were to request a car without brakes, you would not rip the brakes from the car. It would be better handled if the client clearly understood what theirs and the designers role is.
The following outlines the ideal relationships:
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To the designer, great design is beautiful design. A lot of time must be put into reflecting or creating the companies brand.
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To the client, great design is effective. The design must meet the objectives and goals in the original brief.
- To the user, great design is functional. It is the developer and designers responsibility to make sure the design is intuitive rather than counterintuitive.
References/Useful links:
Digital Web Magazine - Client Centered Design
Six Revisions - The difference between good design and great design
Website Design about - Is the customer always right?
Jakob Nielsen - Top 10 mistakes in web design
Daniel Yang - Ethics in design
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