OK - so the first poll that we have up now is just a really quick and simple question - if you havent voted yet, make your choice right now (you wont leave this page, I promise).

So, what I am really trying to discover is:

1. Do/Should designers mostly develop a layout first and then tweak it to fit the content provided?

   or

2. Do/Should designers look at the content that needs to be displayed and produce an appropriate layout?

This leads on to whether or not an average web user can tell the difference between a layout that has content stuffed into it and a layout designed specifically for the content.

So… now that you have offered your opinion, here’s mine.

Through my years as a web developer, the overwhelming issue I run into is a client who comes to me with a design of what their website has to look like, and then a page of goals and the reasons for their website.

So far, I dont think anyone has provided a design that matches their desired results. Over the years I have taken both roads when presented with this quandary and have built the site that was given or designing a site that produced the results… which client do you think was happiest?

Looks vs $$$$$$ - not a hard decision for most business owners!

I feel that as web designers we need to take the information that the client is providing us with: their goals, corporate colors, existing site statistics, and all other analytical information available for their existing website and then design the layout that merges all of these together into something that looks good, fits in with the corporate image but gets the wanted results.

It’s no good having the best looking site in the world if the people who visit the site are too busy drooling at the layout to notice that you are giving them each $1,000 if they would just click on a the magic rotating button.

I was recently having a discussion with someone about some corporate business cards and the comment was made that ‘The CEO liks them ’cause he designed them!’

Dont get me wrong, I think it’s great that the CEO designed them, but if they dont work - if your average Joe doesnt want to look at it, or cant read it, or chucks it out cause it’s ugly - then the design was done because the CEO thought they looked cool, not to produce the desired action from the business card recipient.

Business cards, websites, flyers, letters, and anything else you will put out as a company has to have a measurable purpose - and if the design detracts from this purpose, then its time to make a change.

Look at the goals, and work backwards to the design… more on this tomorrow!