Users find websites for a variety of reasons. For the most part they are on your site to accomplish a goal. Maybe it is to find a product, learn something or download something. I can almost guarantee that they are not there to be confused and overwhelmed by information. I believe that far too many sites are much too complex and confusing for users. This happens for a variety of reasons. We hear from companies all the time how they need to provide vast amounts of information and that almost all of this needs to be accessible from the homepage. Not just on the homepage, but “above the fold.” The result of this becomes as overly complex and overly crowded mess of a site where the user is so overwhelmed by the shear quantity of choices that they simply choose to leave. As with the following example, Continental attempts to give the user access to just about everything they would want to do. As a result the user is overwhelmed and confused.

One reason for this is that there is a general sense of fear that if something is visible on the homepage, that users will not find it. Another is the use of analytics and tools that measure how far users scroll down a page which perpetuates this fear. The flaw I find in this data is that it typically includes all visitors to the site. Anyone who had ever looked at website analytics knows that a site gets a lot of very unqualified traffic from search engines. The behavior of this unqualified traffic can overwhelm and mask the behavior of users who actually intended to be on your site and have a task to accomplish. These users behave very differently and will be more likely to go a few pages deep into the site to complete their task. Target is an example of a site with a ton of content, yet they keep the content on the homepage focused to a primary goal. This makes the experience for the user much less intimidating and invites the user to explore further.

What these qualified users need is a simple experience that gives them clear information that is focused on the primary goals of the site and doesn’t try to do everything at once. One of the reasons that mobile apps are so popular is their simplicity. They are typically focused on a simple set of functions and they rarely require much of a learning curve. People are easily overwhelmed by a plethora of options, so give them the simplicity that they seek. Think about the objectives of your site and distill them down to just a few. Give those objectives the attention that they deserve and you will greatly increase your chances of accomplishing them. The secondary objectives can be pushed lover on the page or deeper in the site. A motived user will find them, especially if they are intrigued by the site and weren’t scared off by an overly complex page. This site for Billings is a great example of reducing choices for the user, and focusing on the primary goals of the page.

Users make decisions about your company within a few seconds of landing on the page. Do you want to have that impression to be one of confusion or would you rather communicate a clear and simple message that will intrigue a user and draw them into the site? So when planning a site, think about the objectives of the site, and then prioritize those objectives. If the site could do only one thing, what would that be?

Here at Imulus, we strongly believe in how important the wireframing process is for all of our projects. Recently we shifted our process in the wireframing stage to lessen the confusion with our clients. We decided not to present wireframes to the client. Wireframes are an essential step in the process for the designer, but they can be a waste of time for the client. The process can end up hurting the project and its goals.

Why?
During our wireframe presentations we noticed that wireframes can cause a lot of confusion. Wireframes that expressed creative layouts were declined by the client because they would have difficulty visualizing the design once fully designed and functional. We’re humans. We have a better understanding of something that we see rather than trying to visualize something that’s shown to us in grey boxes. Because of this, clients approved wireframes that made most sense to them — the one with a very traditional layout.

Traditional wireframe layout

Wireframes are more about content structure — what goes where within the layout. They lack the ability to convey brand-specific features and how contrast impacts content hierarchy.

Wireframes can hurt the project due to the following reasons…

1. They are static — Sure, design is static too, but has a bigger impact to the client than wireframes. Clients want to see the design.
2. They can’t express dynamic interaction — Trying to explain dynamic interaction through wireframes confuses the client even more. In some instances, we’ll prototype specific dynamic features.
3. They can be misinterpreted – Clients can change their mind once they see the design. What they understood in the wireframe can look different to them in the design.
4. They can waste a lot of time – Designers can be stuck in “revision land” for a while. This also affects Project Managers as time is wasted on back and forth with a client.

Our plan here at Imulus is to only do this for website design projects and so far it has been very successful. Web and mobile applications will require wireframe approvals by the client. These projects are complex in context and we want to make sure that the flow of user interaction is ironed out at the wireframing stage.

I recently read an article titled “What’s Next in Web Design.” The conclusion of the article states:

“Better interaction design, less graphic design. Better user experience, less debates about taste. Faster technology, more reliable design standards.”

What I find interesting is I’ve been seeing the opposite in web trends. With the introduction of more web friendly fonts and more flexibility in development, web design is starting to look more and more artistic and refined. Designers are able to explore their artistic roots with illustration, sketching, painting, etc.

When you look at a site that is so beautifully designed, it just makes you feel good. It’s the intangibles that can make a difference. Things that click tracking, heatmaps, and analytics can’t measure. I also find it interesting that, yes, of course the author is arguing the benefits of minimalist web design. Look at their site. Almost as minimalistic as it gets.

Minimalist design style has its place in web design, but it is far from the end-all for web design. Sites like Apple have been so successful because:
1. Their web design matches their brand style
2. They are able to display big, beautiful photography and not every company can afford that level of photography.
3. The amount of information they have packed into their website demands a simplistic design style in order not to overwhelm their audience.

While I agree that a design that is too cluttered and flowery can be extremely frustrating when I am looking for something specific, but why must it be one or the other? That is the challenge of web design: creating a web experience. Combining form and function so they work together seamlessly.

Would you hire an architect to design a building that meets the needs of keeping you warm and a roof over your head but is a plain box? No. You hire an architect to create something beautiful but still functions as a well structured building.

Bottom line, the minimalist approach works, but not for everyone, and not as often as many people think. Personally, I am seeing more creativity and interesting visuals than something flat and boring but usable. Pairing usability and beauty is a web designer’s job. So rather than casting off graphic design as unnecessary, I foresee it becoming more and more crucial.

Note: I do not in anyway fancy myself the supreme expert of Design. Nor do I think anyone is or ever can be. Design is a living, breathing entity that will forever evolve, push limits, and astound. This blog is simply some exercises that can help broaden your horizons even if it’s the slightest bit. Also keep in mind, they are in no particular order. That being said, on to the list!

1. Do online tutorials.
The dreaded vacuum. As designers, we avoid it like the plague (or should). We strive to break out of our own design shells constantly, but what about our Photoshop shells? Photoshop is such a unique and complex tool, sometimes when we learn how to do something one way, we stick with it. Even if it’s not the most efficient way. Try doing something strange and off the wall – like setting someone on fire. You might learn something new about photoshop and/or a more efficient way to do something.

2. Use a design style from one of the greats.
Sometimes it’s not enough just to look at inspiring pieces from the great graphic designers throughout history; sometimes you need to scoop it up and play with it. Try designing in a style that is opposite of your own. If your design is clean and precise, try designing a piece inspired by Stefan Sagmeister or David Carson. If you love wild and crazy design, try designing something inspired by Josef Muller-Brockmann or Yusaku Kamekura. Obviously, I don’t mean recreating the works. Use some elements and the general style to make something new and unique. It will challenge you and force you to think differently.

3. Use colors you rarely use.
Look at old designs. Do you have a tendency to use blues and grays? Design a piece that is only oranges and yellows. Go to Kuler and find a crazy color palate and stick with it. Splash around in the color wheel and don’t be afraid to go crazy. Sometimes you’ll discover use of color you were afraid to use before.

4. Design upside-down.
I am constantly guilty of this: I start a homepage design and I whip up a heading and navigation that I love. I gain momentum and pretty soon I’m almost done with the design. Oh yeah, I need to design the footer. Well, everything else looks great, so I’ll just throw in a bar of color with text links and call it done. Who scrolls all the way down to the bottom anyway? What? What am I thinking? My design should have love and attention from top to bottom. That’s what makes a truly inspired design. A way to combat this is design upside-down, top to bottom (and no, I don’t mean stand on your head – but I won’t stop you if you want to try). Not only will you give extra attention to things you sometimes forget about, you’ll also approach a design in a very unique way.

5. Steal a fellow designer’s PSD
No, I don’t mean literally. Ask a fellow designer if you can borrow an old PSD of one of their designs. Only use the elements in their design and create something new(don’t add anything, don’t change colors, don’t change fonts, etc). Blow elements up, shrink elements down, do whatever you can to make it different and interesting. By limiting yourself, and using design elements you’re less familiar with, you force yourself to learn new things and see things differently.

There you have it. Obviously some of these exercises are not always going to work for client work, but try to put aside time to design just for the fun of it. Be your own client and always try and push your own limits.

Those of you familiar with Imulus know we’ve been working on a Group Task Management application for sometime now. It’s called Stacks

We developed Stacks out of necessity. It was once an Excel spreadsheet three years ago. It has morphed into an online application which we can’t live without, so we’ve decided to put it out there for others to enjoy. In the last few weeks we’ve made great progress on getting the internal beta application ready for beta testers.

Our goal is to open it up for testing before the end of October, but that’s only if client work doesn’t seriously push us off course.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be rolling out screen captures and hints to Stack’s functionality. Please stay tuned or apply to become a beta tester!