Oftentimes, a site ‘template’ is designed; common areas like headers, footers and backgrounds look pleasing enough, but the central content pane gets little design consideration. Successful web design has to consider this content first and foremost. It is, after all, the crux of the site.
This can often be the case where concerns a site managed with a CMS. The balance between designing each content type / area on an individual level to best suit its purpose and the clients’ ability to manage this content themselves is a difficult one to strike.
Designing each content type / area to best suit its purpose also adds levels of complexity, both in terms of development (affecting time and budget), and to the client who has to manage it – there’s often more work required adding, formatting, categorising, and chosing the position of content.
This extra effort however, provides a much richer user experience, and a comprehensive site that feels well designed, well thought out – not merely a site with a pretty template holding content that feels like an afterthought, disengaged and disjointed within its confines.
Recently I’ve found myself writing the above, or words to this effect, as rationale to various clients or other members of our team. It’s a process 37signals also employ, referring to the process as Epicenter design.
SXSWi: Everything You Know About Web Design Is Wrong
We kicked off our first Substrakt SXSW with Everything You Know About Web Design Is Wrong, I think we came out of it with a fresh perspective and focus on a very familiar topic.
Here’s a quick video summary:
raw notes: (my comments in bold)
media driven by tech not artists
master the tech and have good content = win
web needs to develop a language/grammar, film used to suck but then we developed ideas about how to use the camera to tell a story
artist driven instead of tech driven
list of sites that would be just as good if they were printed
above the fold is a big fail won’t be the last time I say that
don’t know what the grammar will be, but here are some emerging patterns
random voyerism
examples like flickrvision because we like to watch see also: flickr.com/explore/clock/ which I think is the best example of this atm
we like to watch people, even if were not connected to them people are all the same
another example is found magazine, which is a collection of found photographs we have the ability to construct a narrative from non-narrative forms
self-aware, but controlled, content (i.e. content with metadata)
Metadata is content that knows itself better than we do.
user created content
The web is about a single user and the choices they make.
They control the content
ambient awareness
trival and profound
twitter as a portrait again with the network narrative thing, also relevant to Transaction Analysis
experiential content
Rollercoaster is not the track, it’s the experience
Experience as the content
Design is not about making something look pretty, it’s the whole stack, visual design is a means to an end, real design solves problems. Design needs to happen at the beginning not just at the end, and it needs to be jambalaya mix everyone in. Use an expert in the context to explore and protect the user experience
Here’s the answer but your asking the wrong question
there was a bit of talk about being allowed to fail and this usual learn from your failures vibe, I don’t agree, you need to learn from success not how to get it wrong
If you’d like to digest the whole thing on your iPod then grab the podcast, everything was filmed but actually I can’t seem to track down the full version anywhere.
Artmarkt is a web site that profiles artists including graphic designers, illustrators and photographers. The web site showcases artwork and invites users to purchase this work in various sizes as prints or canvases. The site aims to help promote emerging artists as well as offering an outlet for established artists.
This work by artist Felice Varini has no doubt been knocking around blogs for a while now but I only came across it for the first time today, and I think you’ll agree with me that it is AMAZING!! http://www.varini.org
I remember looking at ASCII art when I was knee high to a grasshopper and thinking back then what an amazing but laborious task it must be to create them. This takes it to a whole new level, and instead of looking crude on a low bit depth screen, actually looks sophisticated; the perfect embodiment of ‘Geek Chic’ !
“There’s absolutely no shortage of ways to geek up the inside of your domicile, but few creations posses the perfect balance of class and geekiness like the ASCII Curtains. Reportedly hand-crafted by designer / artist / undiscovered genius Nieke Sybrandy, these nerdalicious curtains feature a light gray tree motif that is compiled entirely from code.” – Quote from Engadget
The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design at Gosta Green had the private view for their end of year show last Wednesday. The particular faculty that was of most interest to us was the School of Architecture. We developed their yearbook, which was a great pleasure, and while developing content gave us a chance to look closely at the high standard of work that came out of the School this year.
If you get chance, take a look at the 150th issue of Grafik magazine this month. Each cover has been screen-printed making no two covers the same. In the same vein, the issue details case studies of unique printing & packaging processes – some of which are nothing short of spectacular in both idea and execution.
We have just uploaded our brand new site. Hope you all like it, any feedback is warmly accepted… even the bad stuff… we can take it! www.substrakt.co.uk
Dear Chris, Michelle and Stas,Well done for submitting your entry and coming second place!
On Monday, 5 distinguished jurors viewed the entries; Martin Field (ULI), Marc Reeves (Birmingham Post), Mary Martin (Pro-Vice Chancellor, UCE), Kenny Brown (Turley Associates) and Nicola Hopwood (Glenn Howells Architects). I attach their comments below.
Martin Field, who will be co-ordinating the publicity suggested a celebratory reception to congratulate you all, and an opportunity for you to explain your scheme to the audience. The date, time and venue will be confirmed but it will be around the last week of March. Moreover, Terry Grimley, arts and culture columnist for the Birmingham Post, will interview you for a piece he is writing on the competition and the Wholesale Market site.
Well done for your achievement. Here are the judge’s comments:
Strengths:
Good integration of archaeological site with public park
Broad range of uses
Good use of water and varied grain with the finer grain emulating the historical patterns
Similarly, block structure follows historic grain
powerful masterplan image
masterplan models surrounding area
Phasing achievable
Weaknesses:
Judges led to believe that new development sunk below street level and would be detrimental to connectivity
3 blocks on ridge felt to be inappropriate in height and location
The creative hub on wrong side of development, not addressing Digbeth Media Zone
Parts of the masterplan work better than other parts, such as the finer grain is commendable, but three long buildings on the block further north creates unusual geometry
Overall, masterplan doesn’t come together as a ‘piece of city’
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