In the short history of website design we are confronted by a barrage of animated spinning logos, embarrassing soundtracks and inappropriate use of scrolling marquees and blinking text. We must ask though how, in such a short period of time, have we gone from 'online PowerPoint' to today's more interactive digital environments? Could it be due to the extreme speed in which technology has evolved particularly within the last ten years? Perhaps. Could it be due to the fact that the internet has become mainstream and therefore less amateur? In the quest for the answer, it's important to understand the key elements of modern design.

What makes a design successful?

The answer comes in two parts.

Fit For Purpose

Even the most visually impressive, innovative, sexy websites fail for one main reason; they don't meet the needs of their users. Ultimately, if the user doesn't see the value in a website, finds it hard to navigate, becomes confused with content or just generally dislikes the colour palette used, they'll switch off and go somewhere else. It's a widely held view that users on average take less than a second to judge a website. Imagine you were planning to build a small grocery store on one of the main streets in the city. You wouldn't think twice about investing a small fortune to get the layout of the shop floor just right, ensuring all the products on sale are strategically placed throughout to maximise their sales potential.  Why should the process be any different when planning to build a website? Designers must take a 'Fit For Purpose' approach to their websites to achieve results.

It's about the experience

Ask any Apple Mac user why they love their Mac and I guarantee the majority of the answers will be about the experience of using a Mac. And it doesn't stop there. Apple spend millions of dollars in research and development getting that experience just right; focusing on the little things from the packaging in which the Mac comes, to the welcome screen when you first turn it on. Do a YouTube search and you'll see hundreds of videos of people sharing the experience of unpacking their Mac. Very few companies can get this right but when you do, the payoff is enormous. It is important to note that as part of the experience, we have a social and sometimes legal responsibility to make our websites accessible. They should provide the opportunity to be read by everyone, regardless of disability, location, experience or technology. The key ingredient to getting that experience right is to make sure the product, in this case a website, connects to its users. Many people tend to think modifications to design should be made based on feedback you gather once a website has gone live. The biggest problem with this theory is that the ongoing cost to do this far outweighs the initial cost of doing sample user testing during the initial design phase. User testing can hold the key to ensuring the overall experience is heading in the right direction. Making modifications and tweaks to the designs based on testing feedback is much easier to do before the website has launched. The online world is moving at light speed and with the ever-expanding availability and use of the internet, it's important to note that we can no long approach user experience with complacency. We need to engage our users and provide an environment that not only identifies who we are, but sets us apart from our competition.