Web Designers, Design Your Content!
I’ve noticed a trend lately among websites I’ve visited that seem to win all kinds of design awards and such. First of all, they look beautiful. Web design has come a long way in the past few years. But I get this nagging suspicion that the designers kind of stop once they get the shell of the site designed. Then, when they get the content from the client, they copy, paste and call it day.
So what’s the big deal? Well, I’ll tell you what the big deal is! Content is important! In fact it’s probably more important than your design. I tell my clients all the time, “I don’t care how pretty we make it, if your content isn’t compelling; if it doesn’t reach out and grab the user, they’re not going to stay on the site.” And it’s true. Don’t get me wrong, it works both ways…I mean, if you’ve got great content, but your site is ugly as crap I’m not going to trust you simply because you didn’t put the effort to be professional.
But wait! What if the design and the content were both great? No, I don’t mean what if they were great on their own, but they actually integrated?
But wait! What if the design and the content were both great? No, I don’t mean what if they were great on their own, but they actually integrated? What if the content was designed as well as the rest of the site? What if it was treated as a User Interface by itself? Too often I see a lack of effort put into designing the part of the site that the user will be interacting the most with: yeah, the content (if you hadn’t guessed by now!).
Cameron Moll has a great example of treating your content as a User Interface:
I think one of the greatest challenges of web design is communicating your content with the 3 or 4 standard fonts available. It makes you dig deep and look for colors, spacing and subtle but effective ways to guide the user through your content.
It’s all about the details, guys (and girls). Take the extra time to make that block of text something easy to read through. Make the web a better place!
Share This Entry with Your Favorite Social Networking Sites.This web site is beatiful I think,and this post is good for me 
Thanks
This comment was smacked down by the Iron Fisted Spam Punisher here at FortySeven Media. He delights in keeping this blog spam free!
Please enjoy this haiku instead:
With an Iron Fist
All Spam Is Thusly Smitten
Word To Your Mother
Good post. I started taking this approach a few months ago about designing from the inside-out, focusing on the content. I often think about typography first
Thanks for the kind words, all. Glad someone else understands that designing the content is important, too!
Live Preview
Blog
Categories
- Design
- Business
- Tutorials
- Design Hope
- Apple
- Kick Awesome Show
- Music
- ExpressionEngine
- Personal
- category archives
Recent Articles
- The Kick Awesome Show: Episode 4
- Tips for Freelancer Websites - Making Your Site Awesome
- The Kick Awesome Show: Episode 3
- The Kick Awesome Show: Episode 2
- Tips for Freelancer Websites - The Groundwork
- archives
Popular Articles
BestChristianDesign is helping give churches inspiration for their next project. Good call, guys.
Seth Godin reminds us to enjoy and take advantage of the uphills.
Stop announcing your new project. Just do it.
Rock and Roll people, Rock and Roll.
To all you staff designers out there, here’s a link for you. (via @ryanlascano)
Fascinating look into the music business.
Derek Sivers posts some great advice about balancing your life.
Troy McNeil
Things I Said
@ryanirelan Hate that, too. Was hoping it would grow on me but too many panes all over the place. Too much like my desktop :D
I've noticed I'm not noticing my spelling errors. I need more sleep.
ExpressionEngine
The best Content Management System for designers. Feature rich, completely customizable, and easily extendable.
Basecamp
Basecamp is the smarter, easier, more elegant way to collaborate on your internal and client projects.
Adaptiv Media
March 01, 2008
This is a great blog post and exactly the kind of basis I work from. At the end of the day, the content of your site makes up for a bigger proportion than the basic design. Get them both working and you’ve got a dream website design.