Client: “I’ve sent the image. I can’t wait to see the final product.”
Me: “This image is 115px x 148px at 72dpi. Typically we need images around 1000px and higher with around 150+dpi.”
Client: “Can’t you just Enhance the images like they do in CSI.”
I read some interesting comments made by the folk at BaseKit.com the other day. Their article got me thinking about the needs of the website owner (the client) and the audience (web users). They discussed designing web pages for the iPad, and how it is likely that touch screen technology will soon rule. iPad offers its users touch screen technology to point to web links by touching the screen with their fingers and not a mouse.
Of course this is nothing new as many handheld and kiosk devices offer this ability already but the iPad may indeed herald new and innovative ideas. Actually the fact that touch screen technology is already here and is being developed further is of interest to web designers who might look at the iPad in different ways than everyone else does.
Let’s look at the iPad, as a user. I suspect that iPad users might appreciate a fingertip sized hyperlink. Think about it. If you owned an iPad, it would be ideal to not have to zoom in to a page in order to tap on a text link. One tap and you’re there. The convenience of appropriately placed and sized touch links is a simple winner for iPad users and no doubt any other Tablet.
But good web design doesn’t mean you jump onboard and use every idea that comes along. Who are the users and what do they use the iPad for?
(Image source: Mercola.com)
You wouldn’t advise a client to create a touch screen friendly website unless there was a good reason to do so e.g. they cater to the iPad user niche. But it is evident that while web designers are guessing who the typical iPad user might be and what they might do with the device; these are interesting times where patience and market awareness is a virtue.
People who have never physically held an iPad seem to think it should replace netbooks and e-readers. Others don’t believe it offers anything new or useful. Hype and technophobia aside, I’m not convinced that the iPad and Tablets in general give us good enough reason to make changes right now. But I would watch these devices with interest because they certainly offer a window into the near future for web design usability and standards. Perhaps, as and when other tablet versions are released we might be given a better indication of web user needs. Until then, let’s wait and see what the next iPad iteration brings.
(W3bfoot p.s. Tips and Tools for Mobile Web Design)
Web design is a broad subject. If you intend to start designing websites or are keen on improving existing skills, this blog will offer tips pointing you to interesting directions. We’ll be touching on the many aspects of good web design and discussing the reasons why it is important to keep up with developing technologies, standards and trends. But first, let’s look at one of the common communication problems that crop up when talking about web design…
Web design has different meanings to different people and all that difference creates confusion and frustration for everyone involved. My understanding of web design is that it is the entire process of creating a website from a concept to an uploaded and functional site.
Good web design spans visual imagery, colours, perspective, site structure, navigation, page layout, content and more. All of these inputs support the subject of web design. People could argue that is not a correct definition but it may help if you ignore the semantics for now as it really serves no purpose once you are aware of the many interpretations of ‘web design’.
Here’s a search results page that will give you an idea about what people think web design is and shows the various definitions out there.
Web design trends are both wonderful and complex. Opinion and pie-in-the-sky predictions abound where creativity is such a big part of design that you have to expect moving goal posts. Take for example the opinion that splash pages are so yesterday while larger logos and header imagery are ‘in’.
Web design is a creative process sure but the creativity also needs a purpose. The moment you figure out what you want a website to achieve, you can approach the design from key areas including seo, usability, marketing etc. Keep the website’s purpose in mind and you’re on the right track.
Ever since I deleted my first web page I have been chasing the Holy Grail to create websites that are hip, functional, engaging and informative. Gee, hopefully all of that. During the early web design days there wasn’t much in the way of online tutorials and you couldn’t enlist the help of an expert without paying for expensive tuition. Well, no longer is this an issue for budding web designers. There’s so much information available online you could pass an exam without leaving your PC.
The real challenge is being Creative. Artistic. Expressive. and having an eye for design on the web. It’s a skillset we already possess or have to work on.
