In a recent interview, Millersville University professor James Pannafino talks about the misconceptions that many designers have when it comes to web design.
Q: You say web design is in the details. Can you tell us about what details you think are most important to the design process?
A: Understanding user experience and the many factors that are involved is one of the most important parts of the web design process. It’s difficult for some to put value into something that doesn’t have a visual or tactile end product. During my presentation and in my new book, Interdisciplinary Interaction Design, I discuss the use of signals and cues. The designer can’t just assume the user knows a button is a button or a link is a link, you have to develop a system of color choices that will become intuitive for the user over time. The funny thing is user experience isn’t all that new, industrial designers have been thinking about user experience for ages. Do you think a company who makes a toaster is going to build and mass produce something without testing it? Why should a website be any different? Good web design is part strategy (research, planning and design) and part tactic (testing and development) Both need to be considered and seen through.
Q: What are the aspects of the process that often distract designers from the components of web design that can really make a site successful?
A: A fundamental component that tends to distract some designers is that you can’t design for a fixed size. A designer can’t just hand off a design to a developer without instructions on how the design might change across screen sizes or mobile devices. Sometimes this endless canvas thought process is difficult for people to get over. Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan talked about the difference in hot and cool media and how our senses and perceptions affect how we experience digital media. There is a difference between reading a printed book and watching a video on a screen, designers need to be aware of how humans interact with media presented to them.
James Pannafino teaches you how to simplify the web design process on December 6!Join James Pannafino for a live tutorial where he’ll teach you about seven aspects of web design that are often overlooked, but can take you from square one to finished product without all the headaches.- Learn more! |
As far as the design and development process goes, a designer should never just hand off flat files to a developer or programmer. They should always work as a team and check with each other throughout the process. I even recommend working with a developer before the design is even started. The best designs come out of clear and transparent teamwork. Always test and review and go back and make design changes when necessary. Web/Interactive designs are never truly done, they evolve and change as the experience and user changes.
Q: When it comes to speaking the language of web design, are there any terms that are consistently misused?
A: Wireframes, many designers think that they are sketches of a website, when they really are meant to specify areas where real content will reside before style or complex functionality is developed. While wireframes look simple, they are based on content audits and research studies that speak to what the user might except from a given design. Another basic term that often gets misused is animation on a web page. Animation is when illustrated characters are walking and talking. Motion design (often integrated in web page design) is the art of moving type, graphics and imagery in a meaningful way to enhance page content. Graphic designers have been moving imagery and typography for awhile now, Saul Bass’s title sequences are a great example motion design.
Q: For someone transitioning from print design to web design, what are some of the common mistakes beginners make, and how can those be overcome?
A: In general a common mistake is to have the overwhelming feeling that you have to know everything to be a web designer. The field of interactive design is very broad and specialized, a creative individual can go into content strategy, user experience, visual/concept design, the list goes on. You don’t have to know everything, find a niche and then develop a fundamental understanding of the other sub-disciplines so you can talk and collaborate on projects.
At this point web design has a history to it, it’s important to learn that history and all the aspects that come with it. While I do think understanding basic markup language (HTML/CSS) is good, I think too many print designers think that’s all they need to learn because they’re already a good designer. If you really want to learn web design, start with the timeless fundamentals that deal with experience, choice and functionality. Become a sponge and try to see where these principles overlap with the function of web page design.
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In this interview with James Pannafino, a professor at Millersville University talks about designers today and their mistakes in the world of web design. He explains on how the web designer must understand how the user interacts with the website to make a user friendly website. User-friendly websites attract more viewers and improves business. Understanding basic markup language (HTML/CSS) and how a basic site is constructed is essential as well as making instructions for the website developer. The main mistake he mentions is using the proper language. For example, sketched, roughs and markups (common graphic design terms) in the web design world translate to wireframes. It is important to understand the language in order to communicate with a website developer to get the job done right.
Kendra Forshee
January 30, 2013 at 4:38 pm
I think that James Pannafino made a good point when he said that designers can’t just assume that the user will know that a button is a button. In information design you cannot assume anything, but instead make the information fool proof for the user. He also made a point that designers need to realize that you can’t design for a fixed size when it comes to web design. Every device the information is viewed on will be a different size, and the designer needs to accommodate that. He clearly explained “wireframes”. And lastly, he said that designers transitioning from print to web shouldn’t feel so pressured to know everything. The field is broad and it is impossible to know everything even if you tried.
Amanda Wilson
January 30, 2013 at 8:25 pm
This interview article is a good introduction into what this class will include. James Pannafino answered some questions that I think were very informative in the user interface design field. In his answers he explains how the designer has to do a lot more than just design. He/She needs to know and experiment with their user, coming up with solutions and then testing them to see if the user reacted in the right way. Another person the designer needs to work with is the developer and programmer. Not only should a designer design a website, but they should also be a part of the whole entire process. Sometimes the designing doesn’t come until after designers meet with the other people who are part of the “team.” Another point Pannafino made was the differences between Animation and Motion design, and how these terms are misused, along with the term Wireframes. The next and final point that was made is that designers do not need to know everything there is about web designing or programming. Designing for the web is a collaborative
effort because of the complexity and different subgroups that can arise out of the one simple project.
Sarah Roether
January 30, 2013 at 11:26 pm
This article was interesting to me because I am mostly a graphic designer and haven’t had much experience in web design. Pannafino talks about common mistakes people make in the design process and how you should be in contact with a developer from the beginning of a project. This is informative for me, so that I know what to look for when I am starting out. Pannafina also states how it is good to start out with finding a niche in the web design world, that you can excell in. He states that it is hard to learn everything and lots of people usually don’t, so its good to just find a field that you are interested in and good at doing. Web design is always broadening and expanding, so its also good to always keep up with the current programs and what’s new.
Ciara Stallbaumer
February 4, 2013 at 9:34 pm
James Pannafino hit on four main topics during his interview about web design and its details. First, he explains that “understanding user experience and the many factors that are involved is one of the most important parts of the web design process.” This is essential because one cannot just assume that the user knows when “a button is a button or a link is a link.” If everything were implied and nothing was laid out clearly and smoothly, the user would be lost on the site and potentially not be able to utilize its full potential. Next, he explains what the “aspects of the process that often distracts designers from the components of web design” are that can make a site successful. His answer to that was we “can’t design for a fixed size.” No matter what, the size can always change; from a computer screen, to a phone screen, and any other devices screen. After that, he goes over some of the terms that are commonly misused in the web design language. Among some of those terms are wireframes, and animation. Lastly, he speaks about beginners in the web world from the printing world. Pannafino says a “common mistake is to have the overwhelming feeling that you have to know everything to be a web designer.” It is funny he said this, because that is exactly the mistake I would have and did make. If there is something that I am not fully educated on, or have experience with, I feel as if I will not be able to be successful in that particular area. However, there is always that opportunity of finding a “niche and then develop a fundamental understanding of the other sub-disciplines.” This statement eased my mind and made me realize that I do not have to know everything to be successful. There is always something I could possibly bring to the table and always time to learn.
Ashley Moon
February 5, 2013 at 6:29 am
In the article with James Pannafino, we learn about how web design is a very important trait to have as a graphic designer. Pannafino made a good point saying that you can’t just assume that everyone knows a button is a button or what the button does. You also have to remember who you’re working for and the target market, like any project a designer works on. You can’t always assume the audience knows what you want them to do or where you want them to look. In information design you can’t assume anything or it could lead you to trouble with the design and how your website functions and works. The designer and programmer should always be in contact with each other collaborating and making changes where needed. Also the designer has to realize that the design of a website is never really finished, you have to make as time goes on and as technology progresses. As a web designer you also have to keep in mind the font changes and how your website changes from wide screen computers to mobile devices. It’s also important to know a little about HTML and to start with the fundamentals.
Abby Broxterman
February 6, 2013 at 3:42 am
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