Beware web designers with ideas that are not tested on your users
Forty Media, a Phoenix-based interactive marketing firm, recently released its 2005 Web Design Forecast, which claims that sites this year will be characterized by "new ideas, new colors, new layouts, and new approaches"
Brown is their controversial choice for Color of the Year. Despite skeptical responses from many prominent designers, the firm stands by its decision. "It’s time to get away from the grays and blues of the dot-com era," they say
They also predict that designers will distance themselves from the "5-piece website," a heavily-used page structure consisting of a header, menu, sidebar, content area, and footer.
I bet Jakob NIelsen and Jared Spoole of UIE would have a few words to say about that idea!
When your website is an integral part of your marketing and PR strategy – and it is one of your most important communication tools – make absolutely sure you don’t use ‘new ideas’ that confuse your users and make your website difficult to navigate.
The purpose of a corporate website is not art and design.
It is effective communication and results.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
