Exploring Web Design

I find it challenging to develop e-learning that also incorporates great design techniques, given the constraints of the medium and the learning (and time) requirements of each course.  I subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog, and while it’s a marketing tool for e-learning development software (Articulate), it actually has great advice that can apply to any project or site, whether using that particular tool or not.

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Here, Tom talks about a few common mistakes designers make. I particularly like this post because he’s giving a name to all the mistakes I see (and often make myself), instead of what I do, which is to say “I recognize there’s a problem with the page/site/course, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

It’s worth a look – I usually have  several  “A-ha” moments while reading this blog.

Our second discussion topic in class is to design a website – navigation, organization, categories – and to imagine how a user will move through the site. This is a challenge! In my meanderings around the web, I stumbled upon an anecdote to the stress this is causing … an opportunity to step back and forget about all that organization “stuff.”

These are websites whose goal is to convey everything the creator needs to say … in just one page. This brings the focus squarely on the grid, images, graphics, fonts … the things we used to think of as “design” before it meant so much more – architecture, navigation, etc. (on the web).

Whether this is effective or not, I don’t know.  I’d say it definitely works better for some sites than others – it seems most effective for designers whose goal is to showcase their work and grab the user’s attention quickly … and give them just enough info to be intrigued.

In any case, it’s a nice distraction, and may be a way to get the creative juices flowing if you’re stuck … check the sites out at the link below.

88 Single Page Website Designs for Inspiration

For me, it’s back to work on my site design!