Learning to design better websites
Imagine this scenario: You started out on a new web design project, you start with a google search, look at few examples, start getting some ideas and all of a sudden you realize you may be cheating, you shouldn’t be copying somebody else’s ideas and styles.. you stop in your tracks and get back to your drawing board aka Photoshop, Illustrator, sketch and what not. In the end you either end-up with a fantastic design -you probably had enough idea of what is going around in the world of web design – or something outlandish (and I don’t mean it in a good sense).
Take a deep breath and keep going, this research will only help you design better!
Here is a different take on your ‘Research’. Have you ever heard of a design school without a History class, see Art, Architecture, Graphic Design or even Fashion. Let’s take Architecture for example, in Architecture school you will study History of Architecture for multiple semesters, from lost civilizations, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, to Modern, Post-Modern Architecture and everything in between. You will study famous buildings in details and even design buildings based on your study.
Getting back to Web Design, the field has so little history that you can’t even call it history. You might actually be part of that history in the making. Design Research and understanding of current standards and trends is crucial to your Design. Keeping up with current standards translates towards better user experience. People expect websites to behave a certain way and they expect certain information on designated spots, for example, Copyright information in the footer.
You also need to keep up with the trend, nothing turns users away more than an outdated website. An outdated design takes away the credibility of the company. Keep your designs fresh and up-to-date and keep yourself current on what the rest of the world is designing. Here are a few resources: