Datasheet

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN
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CREATING THE IDEAL, aesthetically pleasing, distinctive design seems like an impos-
sible task to many. While most web industry  elds have their own methodology to
improve and yield results in the layout and the structure of the content, a few basic de n-
ing concepts underpin the whole process of forging beautiful designs. Essentially, the goal
is to achieve maximum impact on users.
Within this  rst chapter, I highlight the justi cations for creating a distinctive design, the
variables a ecting the end users, and the importance of visibility. In addition, I provide a
solid introduction to critical basic design concepts, including neutrality or balance. I also
explain how to emphasize the right content, how to prioritize and analyze content in
order to clean up an interface (using tools like minimalism), and how to avoid con ict and
inconsistencies with websites.
Taking You Back to Basics
Within the realm of user experience, complexity has become the enemy of the people.
Often at the most basic level, the need to create more intrinsically dynamic and func-
tional designs causes website visitation (and the users who browse those sites) to su er.
Although the concept of “designing with purpose” is nothing new, how people read and
recognize objects, and how much attention people give to some components within a lay-
out compared to others, can be summed up in the four words shown in Figure 1-1.
Figure -: Each and every element asks, “Can you see me?”
Treating the elements of your website like a living, breathing entity may seem rather silly
at  rst, but the visualization it produces accurately re ects the situation. Just picture
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