Designing Deeper
By Michelle Szabo
The Web has taken design into an entirely different realm. Designers were once able to simply design with a general understanding of the audience and the material; now they must understand a client's expectations and how an audience interacts more deeply with information on the Web. Although psychology has always played a part in advertising and design, it now plays a more crucial role in getting the return on investment that clients so eagerly seek. Designers also must understand many types of media, how to produce them, how much they cost to produce, and how to use them together. The Web has created a whole new way of communicating, and designers are getting dragged (some kicking and screaming) into learning much more than they originally had planned.
In teaching Web design over the past several years, I've been constantly amazed at the number of people who think that just getting their information up on the Web in some reasonably pretty form is the solution to all their problems. Usually, clients anxiously hire a Web developer who immediately jumps into design mode with limited thought about the Web site's content, its audience, how the audience will interact with the content, or the client's expectations and future plans.
Although most of the more experienced Web-design firms have figured this out, there are many newer companies playing the pricing game, promising clients a quick fix for a much lower cost. The flaw in this strategy is that "just getting it up there" will not drive traffic to a site, nor will it help companies turn a profit. Ultimately, the money is wasted. So, don't play the pricing game.
