I was browsing news resources on my iPhone while dreaming about the upcoming Apple Tablet. Since I run CSSiPhone, I'm always on the look out for great mobile web sites that I've never seen before. I came across one that I thought could make the cut — that was only with a first glance.
At first glance this news site had a very impressive design and it was easy to navigate. However, when I started to actually use it, the design went from being great to being nonfunctional.
I've been bringing this subject up to fellow web designers for awhile now. In the studio, it's like a weekly rant by at least one of us.
I know some really great designers who can work Photoshop all day long, but in the end, the result is nothing more than amazing graphics; nothing centered around what the user needs.
There are a lot of websites that look great and are not functional, and there are some ridged websites that are extremely functional. We need to find the balance between the two and create an overall better experience for our users. We need to find that perfect formula where design feels/looks great but does not burden our browsing experience.
Something I could do more often is challenge my designs before sending them to the client for approval. Step back and rethink the purpose and approach. We need to ask ourselves even though this looks good, how appropriate is it? How well does it help the users find what they're looking for? How else can I approach the problem?
Ask yourself next time you're about to send a design off for approval: How well does it function?
Until next time, follow me on twitter, @michaeldick