Web Design
Once you've got a clear picture of the client aims and desires, brand considerations, site and specific page purposes, target user habits and expectations and the different page's contents you can begin with the most fundamental layer. Different designers might categorize the layers differently, but my basic suggestion for layering would be:
- Information architecture: Start by deciding and/or planning for what information is available where, when, and under what conditions throughout the site.
- Interface behaviors: Specific behaviors are sometimes required or advisable for certain interface elements. These often affect the design effort from both a functional and visual standpoint.
- Visual hierarchy of the content: It’s often beneficial to provide clues to what’s most important on the page, next important, and so on.
- Layout: The fundamental visual framework to support the previously mentioned elements.
- Style: The look and feel of the page/site must support all of the above and tie things together neatly.
Each layer is important and, done well, contributes to the wholeness of the design. Leave out one layer and the design will fail to reach its potential. One could go so far as to say, as I have on a few occasions, that designs that ignore one of these layers are simply poor designs.
Web design is both an art and a science. The goal is to create a great looking website while still making sure that website visitors can find the information they are looking for. Working with you to understand your target audience, we can create a web design that will accomplish both of these goals.