Design Issues Even Martians Should Know 1

[ChrisHunt]

A free chapter from Vincent Flanders aging, but still relevant, "Son of Web Pages that Suck":

http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/chapterfour/

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[TheConeHead]

I really hate this stuff - the web is art...

 

[Foamcow]

Wouldn't a list of links that simply say "Page 1", "Page 2, etc constitute "sucky" design?

Personally, although many of the arguments presented by these sites is perfectly valid I find that they often suck themselves. If you pardon the expression.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Toccoa Games - Day of Defeat gaming community
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
"I'm making time

 

[ChrisHunt]

Vincent argues - not wholly convincingly - that his site is intended to be an example of sucky design as well as a showcase for it. It's like Neilsen's manifestly unusable usability site. That's critics for you, I guess.

Still, Flanders is a funny guy, and his advice is (IMO) worth a look.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[Foamcow]

Ahhh the old "I meant it to be like that" thing. Yeah right.
lol

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Toccoa Games - Day of Defeat gaming community
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
"I'm making time

 

[TruthInSatire]

I was wondering the same thing. He preaches about what not to do but can he showcase what "Should" be done, and give an example of a site designed by him of "Good" design.

I agree with most of what he says. But there are always exceptions. Personal sights are alloud to suck. business sites should look professional and not scare the customer away.

I had a customer ask if i could put some music in the back ground of his site. It's his site and I told him I would if he wanted me to, but gave a checklist of reasons not to, both professional and technical.

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

 

[Foamcow]

Those that can, do.
Those that can't, teach."

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Toccoa Games - Day of Defeat gaming community
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
"I'm making time

 

[TheConeHead]

There are so many factors that go into design that you can not simply say "These things are wrong: ... " This is not a factory where part A always fits into slot B - for that to be true we are wholly removing aethetics from the process and are dwindling design down to one man's interpretation of what is "good" ...

 

[itlama]

I think the book's author should donate to Tek-tips, if it appear in another forum again.

 

[jazz88]

While we're discussing this subject I truly enjoyed this article

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/marsvenus/

"Usability experts are from Mars, graphic designers are from Venus" It's quite old but very well written.

 

[TheConeHead]

good article - a start for ye