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Choosing Form Over Function Kills Your Site
Never put form over function. Why? Because it's crucial that visitors actually be able to USE your site. Everything you do must be designed to be as easy for the visitor to understand as possible. Everything should be functional first. If you put form before function, you sacrifice your visitor's best interest for your own preferences. By definition, putting form over function means you sacrifice function--you make it harder to perform whatever task is supposed to be performed. You give up ease of use or simplicity in order to make it look nicer. Basically, you wind up with a lot of icing and no cake. Don't get me wrong--form often accentuates function, just like icing accentuates a cake. Something that is visually pleasing often increases the usability by making it more attractive or by using visual elements to increase understanding. Creative design can often be used to make a task easier to perform. It can entice the visitor to take whatever action you want them to take. However, on the web, there are frequently contests between form and function. Designers make choices between whether to make something look nicer or make it simpler and easier to use. For example, these are common ways of sacrificing function:
These are all examples of choosing form over function. Unfortunately, if your design looks great but is hard to figure out, your visitors will be gone. They don't come to your site to admire the looks; they come to use the site--to find information or to accomplish a task. Anything you do to stand in their way is a no-no. Most of the time, a visitor's attention span is about as long as snake fur. They have no patience. If you complicate their lives, they're outta here. Other sites are ready and waiting to meet their needs, so there is no reason they should struggle through your site. If you opt for form over function, you're likely to opt yourself right out of sales. Not good. When you're designing your website, don't think about looks first. Always make function a priority. Think about what's going to be easiest for your visitors to use and understand. Then create an attractive presentation to accentuate it. About The Author There are 605.6 million people online. Can they find your business? Jamie Kiley creates powerful and engaging websites that make sure YOUR company gets noticed. Visit www.kianta.com for a free quote. Get a quick, free web design tip every two weeks--sign up for Jamie's newsletter: www.kianta.com/newsletter.php
MORE RESOURCES: Website Development: In-Depth Guide For Beginners Search Engine Journal 22 Free Web Design Tools from Spring 2023 Practical Ecommerce Web Design North Offers Website Designing Services in Canada Digital Journal Best Web Design NJ Recognized as Top Choice for Businesses ... Digital Journal Web Design Strategies to Improve Website Conversion Rate The Good Men Project Web Premium Launches Cutting-Edge Web Design and Digital ... Digital Journal 23 Top Graphic Design Companies Built In 6 Benefits Of Professional Web Hosting For Businesses HostReview.com Web Design Software Market Research Report by Industry ... Digital Journal New SCC program blends graphic design, web design, marketing ... Daily Independent Elevate Your Web Design Skills: 5 Effective Tips for Optimal Learning - Robotics and Automation News Elevate Your Web Design Skills: 5 Effective Tips for Optimal Learning Robotics and Automation News The Impact of AI on Web Design and User Experience Down to Game The Best Free Software Tools to Create Great Graphics CO— by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Exploring Elementor AI: What is it? PC Guide - For The Latest PC Hardware & Tech News The Benefits of hiring a Web Design Agency Tech Guide AI: The Ghost of Web Design Future? Hindustan Times How to Use Web Design and Content Optimization for User ... RS Web Solutions Mobile-First Design: Creating Websites for the Mobile Generation NASSCOM Community The 10 Best Software Development Companies in 2023 MUO - MakeUseOf Proof of Talk 2023 – Two Days To Restore Trust in Web 3.0 and Design the Future of the Industry The Daily Hodl Web design, development firm named among Inc. Best Workplaces SiouxFalls.Business 5 YouTube channels for learning graphic design Cointelegraph 50+ New Cutting-Edge AI Tools (2023) MarkTechPost How Digital Marketing and Mobile Web Design Are Interconnected ... Telemedia Online Boost Your Business with Custom Website Development Services Digital Journal Fulton Savings Bank Donates $5000 To Fulton Community ... Oswego Daily News 8 Common HTML Mistakes You Should Avoid for Better Web ... MUO - MakeUseOf Four female Buffalo entrepreneurs team up to help small businesses ... The Business Journals 6 Chrome Extensions to Boost Your Productivity Online MUO - MakeUseOf Adamson senior awarded trip to NASA, summer internship with local ... Oak Cliff Advocate Brownsville, East New York High Schoolers Can Earn $500 for ... Brooklyn Reader McFarlane Toys and Blizzard Entertainment Licensing Agreement ... Action Figure Insider BULLZ and GeloCubed Combine Marketing Forces To Help Web3 ... Digital Journal Marine Toys for Tots Provides Smiles for Today and Hope for ... Action Figure Insider The SEC’s Coinbase lawsuit shows how Biden is cracking down on crypto and big tech companies Vox.com Crucial Role of Web Design in Enhancing Online Casino Experience Yucatan Magazine Your Ultimate Business Startup Checklist Small Business Trends Interaction Design | Web Design & Development | Digital Media Utah Valley University Joint journey: The Ferraz Rodrigues brothers' path to collaborating ... Illinois State University News Portfolio Requirements for Web and App Emphasis | Web Design ... Utah Valley University 20 Free Web Design Tools from Winter 2023 Practical Ecommerce WAcademy's Web Design Interns Have Successfully Developed Over 30,000 Free Websites for Global SMEs Yahoo Finance 2023 web development roadmap TheServerSide.com 15 Best AI Tools for Web Designers Designmodo 6 CSS Tips for Better Web Development and Enhancing Your Web ... MUO - MakeUseOf The ultimate guide to web design: Learn the fundamentals Interesting Engineering System Breaks Down Barriers for Blind Web Designers Maryland Today Retailers are using sneaky web design to catch you out Creative Bloq When and Where to Use REM and EM Units in Web Design? hackernoon.com Best AI Tools for Web Designers (2023) MarkTechPost Web Design In Melbourne: Creating Designs That Communicate ... Harlem World Magazine This Colorado web designer doesn't want to make wedding sites for ... Colorado Public Radio The Impact Of Competitive Analysis On Web Design & How To Perform It Properly [DesignRush QuickSights] Yahoo Finance Top Web Design Trends 2023 Designmodo |
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