Who Defines Good Web Design?

When I first hooked myself online 10 years ago with a 28.8kbps modem borrowed from a friend, I was fascinated by the possibilities that the Internet could offer. I can’t exactly remember when I started my first personal webpage, but that was long before blogs were called blogs. They were more like diaries, but I never enjoyed keeping something so private on the Internet. My writings were thus more observational and critical rather than narrative. But I digress.

Back in the 1990s, The Internet and more specifically HTML itself were still in their infancy. Most personal webpages were flamboyantly ornated with scrolling marquees, blinking texts, custom cursors, background music, java applets and what not. Many of them still are.

Many amateur web designers and bloggers, overwhelmed by the plethora of possibilities the WWW could offer, readily embrace any possible technology in customising their site – from backgrounds to scrollbars to cursors to titles. It is perhaps much like how some car lovers would plaster up their rides with millions of decals and vinyls, install roof scoops and neon lights. Admittedly, not everyone would find such decor to their taste. But to the owners, it may just be a way to identify with their posessions.

While Jeremy may have felt a tinge of sarcarsm on my description of his blog, the truth is that no malice was intended at all. After all, who really defines a good web page? Jeremy’s friends may have liked how colourful his page is while I prefer to keep mine easy on the eyes. The “warning” was only put up in part because I assumed that my readers (if any) may not be able to adjust so readily from my almost monochrome page to his.

With the flexibility bestowed on web designers and bloggers in customising their webpages, many are tempted to over-customise their website. While it is great to have a site that stands out from the rest, we should ensure that it stands out for the right reasons. I’d play safe and go by the golden rule of “Less is More”. Anything in excess can never be good.

I’d note the following, though they are strictly my preferences:

1. Scrolling marquees and blinking text are definitely out. Heck, they can even trigger seizures in epileptic patients.
2. Background music is not appreciated. Most of us have tons of music queued up in our playlist already. Being interrupted while surfing the net does not sound appealing.
3. Consistency is imperative. Don’t get too caught up with customising everything you can. The arrow cursor, for instance, tells the user that there’s nothing to interact with. The hand cursor, for another instance, tells the user that he/she can click to interact with the object. If you had customised the cursor, the user would be at a lost having lost the vital visual cues.
4. Frames are defunct. I never liked them anyway for I could never get to bookmark a framed page correctly

More tips on proper webdesign can be found at the following:

1. Everything Else: The Top Fifteen Mistakes of First Time Web Design
2. Art and the Zen of Web Sites