Jun 11
24
Web Design Studio
A design firm is an organization that designs any of a variety of things, in one or more of the design fields, such as graphic design, web design, architecture, engineering, interior design, or industrial design. A design studio is similar to a design firm, but may consist of solely an individual designer, whereas a design firm consists of several designers, illustrators, managers etc. The most basic principle is to design simply. This applies to all areas where design is in the service of function. In The elements of typographic style Robert Bringhurst asserts, Typography exists to honor content. On the Web, design exists to enable access to content and functionality. Bringhurst goes on to say, “Typography… aspires to a kind of statuesque transparency.” The same holds true for Web design. A well-designed Web site has just enough emphasis to spark interest and draw attention to important elements, but not so much as to distract the user from content or to hinder functionality.
In Web design, the best way to achieve a balance between engaging and overwhelming the user is to apply the simplest solution to any design problem. Simple solutions produce simple, clean pages that load quickly and are easier to maintain. Flexibility is a basic characteristic of Web pages. For example, pages that adapt to fill the browser window are more accessible than pages that are fixed at an optimal width. The concept of fixed design makes no sense in the Web context, where “optimal” is influenced by so many variables text size, browsing device, display size, window size, and so on. On the Web the optimal design is one that adapts to the user’s environment.
The Web can accommodate alternate formats, such as PDF, Flash, and Shockwave. In general, these formats are inferior to HTML for providing universal usability. Many alternate formats have tried to accommodate accessibility concerns by adding features such as support for structural markup and keyboard access, but these features are not integral to the format as they are with HTML. Alternate formats should be used only as an alternative to accessible HTML. Web pages have controls that users must be able to operate in order for a page to be functional. Interactive interfaces rely on user input to trigger actions. Some users do not use a pointing device, such as a mouse, but provide input either through a keyboard or some other device that activates keyboard controls. For these users, actionable items such as buttons, links, and forms must be workable using the keyboard.
