Guest Post: What Is The Definition Of Good Web Design?

Please welcome my guest blogger, Brian Swichkow (@swichi293 on Twitter.) Brian is a graduate of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, and has with a degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design. He always tweets wonderful, inspirational, and resourceful links to sites containing design and technology. I asked him to define good web design in his own words.

Web design to me is such a simple thing to produce – it involves images and text that are established to communicate information over the Internet. Now, the idea of good web design, and by association – effective web design, is intricate and thoughtful to an almost theoretical level. The question isn’t what makes web design “good”, but rather “what is effective?”

What is the web design that will push you to make a purchase? What is the look of a website that will call the consumer to action? The answer lies in the personality of your target market and what interests them as individuals and as a whole. Effective web design is fast loading, easily navigated, and informative. Effective web design uses colors, shapes, and visual motion to create a mood to be subliminally felt by the viewer. Effective web design not only displays a cohesive message, it portrays an attitude, a vibe, and a lifestyle. Effective web design makes the customer take out their wallet, type in their credit card, and purchase the item. Effective web design makes those who can’t afford your product talk to their friends about how much they want the item and why, it creates word of mouth marketing and builds a brand following that will further market the product.

Good design is effective web design and when you find effective web design you won’t recognize it until the delivery person is already at your door.