Building a good author web site - Democratic Underground

DavidDvorkin

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Sun Nov-13-05 08:31 PM
Original message

Building a good author web site

My thoughts on the subject:

http://www.dvorkin.com/webdes

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Elidor

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Sun Nov-13-05 08:52 PM
Response to Original message

1. RE: "Ugly corporate look"

Edited on Sun Nov-13-05 08:54 PM by Hardhead

Many web designers do indeed design wretchedly overdone and confusing sites. Such sites are designed with upper management, rather than consumers, as the target audience, a bad mistake that is repeated endlessly across the web. Many design departments and companies have no choice in this matter. In my web design days, I had customers who would not take my advice. (Today, in my print media career, I have the same problem.) You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

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DavidDvorkin

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Sun Nov-13-05 08:56 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. That's fair

And I should have said something to that effect. It's not necessarily the designer's fault.

Thanks. I'll try to remember to add that.

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Elidor

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Sun Nov-13-05 09:35 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. I also agree about Flash

I was once paid to do an animated logo for a trucking company, for god's sake. I did an excellent job with it, but still, it was totally unnecessary for their site.

I think that no matter the medium, simplicity of design and ease of use cannot be overemphasized. I think you and I are on the same page there.

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DavidDvorkin

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Tue Nov-15-05 11:23 AM
Response to Reply #2

9. Added a footnote

Which I hope adds fairness.

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Deja Q

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Sun Nov-13-05 08:57 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. Agreed. The executives, who only see the color green, don't know squish.

Green and in the shape of a dollar sign.

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AlienGirl

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Sun Nov-13-05 09:36 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. "Skipping the flash animation will increase click-through by at least 35%"

That's the only way they understand it.

Tucker

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AlienGirl

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Sun Nov-13-05 09:35 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Unfortunately, you're right

I have designed websites, and I always design for ease of use by an outside user. Unfortunately, upper management has sometimes insisted on bells-n-whistles rather than solidity and ease of use. The thinking seems to be "if you can do the latest hot trick you'll impress people," and upper management often just refuses to consider that the "latest hot trick" might just annoy the heck out of the average user. (Flash animation intyros are the perfect example of this.)

Tucker

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ZombieNixon

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Sun Nov-13-05 09:40 PM
Response to Original message

7. I would direct you to my mother's website for an example of a

well-designed author site (designed and updated until recently by yours truly). Unfortunately, that would make it too easy for anyone to find my real identity, thus revealing me as a superhero and placing myself and the planet in grave danger, so I won't. :D

But, no, really, I did design her website, and it's good.

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sendero

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Sun Nov-13-05 09:49 PM
Response to Original message

8. Folks have always had this problem..

... what I told them (back when I did programming/web) was "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."

People, especially technical neophytes, just want every gee-gaw ever invented, flash, mouseovers, etc - whether it makes their site more useful or not.

Good site design takes an artist, and an artist cannot take direction from a manager.

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