WebSite Design

In the systems design projects I work on, user-centred design is important. When we design applications, we need to think about how the user will use the system. We put ourselves in our users' shoes and work on making the system as easy to use as possible. We try to look at everything we do from the user's point of view.

It is very easy for IT professionals to forget about the user and use technology for technology's sake. A lot of web designers think that jazzy Flash websites will blow the socks of visitors but these type of sites may not meet users' needs or get the same level of traffic that non-Flash sites get.

Like any other marketing activity designing a website needs to begin with the customer. A website won't deliver a valuable online experience if customer needs, wants and behaviours have not been considered. Site design is a key part of Internet strategy execution. On the Internet, you website is your brand. The interactive nature of the web means that people don't just see your brand, they experience it. When you are designing a website, you are designing a brand experience.

Web design requires more than just technical skills. It involves design, branding and strategic thinking. The website is the interface to the brand. In digital marketing, branding has to be more integrated. It is about the whole online experience, from the ease with which visitors find information to the speed of pages loading. The fundamental difference between online brands and mass media brands is interactivity. Online brands and websites are about immersing the user in an experience.

Communication, personalisation, interaction, animation and sound are just some of the ways websites can do this. Websites are an experiential communication of brand values. With social media we are seeing this being extended across platforms.

Web design needs to begin with marketing fundamentals. Research your market, discover their needs and wants and develop an online value proposition. An Internet marketing strategy needs to begin with these marketing truths. You need to design your website to deliver an online experience and you need to communicate what this experience is to your users. You cannot properly design or market a website if you have not done the marketing 101.