Sunday, November 4, 2007

Web page article

1. This article reverts back to Norman's overall message in the Design of Everyday Things, that the goal of the designer is ultimately to making things easy for the user. The article talks about how web-designers often stray away from this by using overly flashy graphics or by distracting the user with advertisements, etc. Just like designing a product, designing a web page requires the designer to always keep the user in mind.

2. The article makes a number of points which help the reader realize what makes an important web page. The author emphasizes that a designer must understand that web pages are meant to satisfy the needs of the user, not the designer. He also mentions that a well-designed web page should allow "someone from mars" to understand its purpose in four seconds. This ties right into his point about making everything on the pages straightforward and user friendly. Don't bog down the user with advertisements and marketing; this will not help the user. Overall the article explains to the reader that a good web page should look impressive, but also be informative and easy to navigate.

3. List of important design factors:
1. Ease of use
2. Visual appeal
3. Linking to other important sites
4. Easy navigation
5. Make things clear
6. Focus on the user's needs

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