10 Commandments of Web Design

At 7:45 AM last Saturday, Daryl sent me a link to this recent Business Week article. (There's a reason he left his previous career in the mental health field to become our Web Director. The clinical social workers on his staff just didn't get geeked about this type of content like we do.)

This article reinforced conversations we've been having recently as a team. We acknowledge we have to revisit our approach on the Web because-- unlike the 10 Commandments God gave Moses--the Commandments of Web Design keep changing.

1. Thou shalt not abuse Flash. The technology can easily be abused—excessive, extemporaneous animations confuse usability and bog down users' Web browsers.
2. Thou shalt not hide content. Advertisements may be necessary for a site's continued existence, but usability researchers say pop-ups and full-page ads that obscure content hurt functionality—and test a reader's willingness to revisit.
3. Thou shalt not clutter. The Web may be the greatest archive of all time, but sites that lack a coherent structure make it impossible to wade through information.
4. Thou shalt not overuse glassy reflections. Some experts say Apple's habit of creating glassy reflections under photos of its products has been far too commonly copied, turning the style element into a cliché. [Ok...I needed to hear that one. I've asked for glassy reflections too much lately.]
5. Thou shalt not name your Web 2.0 company with an unnecessary surplus or dearth of vowels. Cases in point: Flickr, Smibs, and Meebo. These names are memorable but destined to sound dated.
6. Thou shalt worship at the altar of typography. Designers say that despite the increase in broadband penetration, plain text has gotten a second wind in cutting-edge Web design.
7. Thou shalt create immersive experiences. Merely looking good doesn't cut it anymore. Sites like Facebook and YouTube draw in users with compelling content and functionality.
8. Thou shalt be social. Build in elements so users can communicate and interact—not just with you, but with each other.
9. Thou shalt embrace proven technologies. Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, and their cohorts have become a part of daily life. Sites that can incorporate these elements into their design will connect with users in a meaningful way by providing functionality they're already familiar with.
10. Thou shalt make content king. Though the slogan is old, it still stands. Aesthetic design can only go so far in making a site successful. Beautiful can't make up for empty.

To keep improving the online experience we provide, it goes farther than browsing the most current best practices list. Our action steps? We've met over the past few weeks to figure out what routines we need to stop, change and add.

It's affecting everything:

• visuals
• design
• site map
• content
• staff roles
• web volunteer opportunities
• plug-in technologies
• promotions

Not easy, but necessary. We've established some pretty good systems over the past five years. We've got into a groove. A well-oiled machine. It'd be easier to keep things the way they are than it would be to figure out what we do next. It's energizing to get out of our comfort zone. And, the most surprising thing that shouldn't surprise us?

To accomplish more, we're going to do less. Athough, it's hard to cut some things we've become familiar with. I'm spending this week making a list, checking it twice, going to find out what's naughty and nice. And, we'll start to move from there. Stay tuned.    

Comments

[Steve Fogg]

Re point 4 (glassy reflections)

I have a rule.

As soon as something becomes a standard feature in PowerPoint it is definitely on the way out.If not already left the design building.

[selma]

Thanks!

[Rick Phillips]

Daryl's background in the mental health field probably comes in more handy as the Web Director and church staff than his web background did in mental health. LOL