Web design is fundamentally different than just about every other branch of graphic design. Print design is static – when a designer prints out a finalized design, it will not change. The printed design will look the same to everyone that sees it. Web design does not have this luxury.
Web pages are GUIs
When we think of computers we often think of Windows, Mac OS, icons, start bars, menus, desktops and mice. These are all components of the graphical user interface (GUI). It can be difficult for people who have become accustomed to working with GUIs to imagine interacting with computers via a text-based interface. Open up your operating system’s command prompt if you want to get a better idea of what a text-based interface is.
GUIs provide a layer of abstraction between execution and result that allows the average person to use a computer with as little learning curve as possible. Web pages follow this same principal – when a user first visits a site, they should be easily able to interact with it and have no problems finding the information they are looking for. As web pages become more and more complex and begin to behave more like programs or applications, an intuitive GUI becomes even more crucial.
Web content is interactive
One of the most important functions that GUIs serve is responding to user input, like a mouse, keystroke, etc. Because every user will respond differently to a website, a single website will look different to different people. This is one of the most challenging and exciting (and sometimes frustrating) aspects of web development.
There are seemingly infinite variables to consider when designing and building web pages. Everything from connection speed to user handicaps must be considered. The manner in which a website handles each of these variables can greatly affect the user’s experience. Designs must be robust enough to handle these variables and flexible enough to respond to them.
Accessibility
When designing and building a website, the first priority is not to immediately block anyone from interacting with any part the site. That means considering all of the possible users: Is the user on a mobile browser? Is the user using an old browser? Are they blind or deaf or otherwise handicapped? Do they have JavaScript enabled? What is their connection speed?
As an example, consider a website built entirely in Flash. Flash allows for some very mouth-watering effects, so the website is probably gorgeous – to those who can see it. By choosing to build a website entirely in Flash, the designer has immediately blocked out all mobile browsers. Mobile browsing is becoming extremely popular, so there is potentially large audience that simply cannot view the site.
Elegant degradation
One way in which designers and developers handle this alarming number of variables is through the concept of elegant degradation. In the case of the mobile browser viewing the flash site, the designer could build an entirely separate mobile-friendly site. When the user navigates to the flash site, their browser could be detected and they can be automatically redirected to the mobile friendly version.
If a user’s browser does not support JavaScript (which is admittedly rare), would they still be able to see an animated slideshow or drop-down menu? What would they see instead? There is any number of creative ways of handling browsers without JavaScript, and they vary depending on the specific site and function of the script.
I invite you to turn off JavaScript in your browser and try browsing the web without it. Be sure to visit popular sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. You will notice many of the things that you take for granted are no longer available. Also, take note of the way the site handles your lack of JavaScript. Does the site break down completely or does it maintain some functionality?
In recent years, as the web continues its astronomical growth, the demand for user interface and user experience designers has jumped. No matter how fantastic a website is, or what kinds of cool features it offers, it will fail if people cannot use it.