Do We Ever Learn?

Sure, this may sound like a question your Mom would ask after you screwed something up, but th question is valid. When we watch designers make grave mistakes do we ever learn from their mistakes or do we try to mimic some of their less than successful pieces of work?

There is a fine line between good and great design. Yet, there is also a fine line between good and bad design. In most cases, the adjective is dependent on the individual describing what they see. Some consumers react to ugly websites and find spending time on them more interesting than their "prettier" counterparts. Then again, an ugly site that is not user-friendly may deter sales or even lead people running as far away as possible.

So, do we ever learn? If we see a somewhat successful site that is absolutely horrible do we ask ourselves why this site is successful or do we run and change the graphics on every site we work with? No matter how old you are, it can be hard to stray from popular opinion. Before you jump on the ugly design bandwagon you should ask yourself a few important questions. The most crucial would be... what is the purpose of your site?

It's All About the First Impression

Sure, we just challenged you to rethink most of the websites you visit daily, but did you actually do it? Subconsciously most of us judge a site within the first few seconds. Our first impressions generally help us make an overall opinion about many things in life including websites.

Once you realize that your first impression will have a barring on your opinion of a website you can then realize the importance of the landing page. The landing page tells us all we need to know about a website. Regardless of the design or content a landing page will dictate how we think about the site and everything it has to offer.

So, when you visit your favorite new sites or bank site what do you think of the landing page? Is the design horrible, can they offer a more user friendly site or are you bored the minute the page loads. Many aspects influence website design and the functions the site has to offer. While you make fun of some of the more ugly sites can you give honest feedback that would help improve the other sites you visit daily? Just a simple question for your Memorial Day weekend! :)

Design Divided

How much time do you spend online? The reality is that most of us spend at least half or two-thirds of our days in front of our computers or some other form of technology. Today our phones are just as easy to use and capable of getting us to all the sites we want to visit.

With all the time we spend online I think it is smart to ask ourselves what percentage of websites we find user friendly. Sure, we can make fun of some of the ugliest sites that we come across online, but how frequently do we spend minutes or even hours on some of our favorite sites and leave thinking… wow, that is not user friendly at all.

How we review design (regardless of the funny terms we put on it) really comes in two parts. You can talk about design in aesthetically appealing terms and you can also talk about design in terms of user-friendly capabilities including navigation, complete links, and thorough information.

So, as you spend most of your waking hours online watch out for more than annoying color schemes, odd Jiffs, and weird flashing text.

Click, click, click

There are things that you wish you don't come across online. Sure, it has happened to all of us. One click here, another click here, and before you know it there you are... stuck in a site that offers nothing but bad design. It's just you, some ugly colors, hard to read text, and over used flash.

Sure, you want them to have something to say or tell you why their design is so horrible, yet in many cases it is left up to the imagination. Take one, two, three, or even ALL of our past examples. We try over and over to figure out why, but sometimes there is not always an answer to every question.

If you are like me you can sometimes feel drawn to these poorly designed sites just to laugh and wonder what the owner are thinking. That is one side of the spectrum. The other side is that the common visitor does not even think a poorly designed site is ugly at all. And, somewhere in between are still other visitors that wonder why the site is ugly, but feel comfortable spending time there anyways. I guess sometimes you start and stop at the question.

Big What?

And, just went you thought you were done with this, you find a link that leads you to this. First and foremost the all black background is a little strange. The yellow box draws your attention to some information below, but what the information is I am not sure.

My computer told me I needed a Java plug-in to run this site, yet I really don’t want to take the time or energy to update my software at this point. I am assuming that updated software is not going to make this page look better than it looks right now.

If you want, there are apparently a variety of links that lead to reports, but then again I am still too lazy to click those too. I have a feeling you might be too. It is really hard to figure out what the music selection is here and if I want to listen to it. Today, we are so used to professional graphics that we see something like this it makes it almost impossible to take the site seriously. Do you agree?

What are you getting from this site and do you think it is worth your time?

I Heart Friends

It’s good to have friends. They support you during important life decisions, they pick you up when you land at the airport, and they send you links to some of the ugliest sites known to man. Yep, friends are the best. The greatest ones are friends that send you multiple links. :) All I can say is I am not sure how my friend stumbled upon this gem, but I am thankful he did. May I formally welcome you to this.

Yes, I called it “this” because to be completely honest I am not 100% what it is. Sure, someone is very proud of this page and minimal bizarre content, but can you really tell me why this page exists. Stop and think about that for a while. Your brain might explode.

Apparently, the page is under construction and there is more for us to expect. Can I suggest that we come back to this page frequently and look for more things gone wrong? Then again, one look and you may never want to come back. More ugliness to come so stay tuned. I might even have to come up with my own home page one of these days.