Posts tagged "Test"

To follow the topic on design of the previous post, here’s something from Paper magazine’s April 2010 issue that we’d like to share with you guys. An excerpt from The Style of Now, the title of the essay by Kim Hastreiter in her column Note of Kim, it’s something that should come in handy to us designers as we go about our work, whether as a form of reminder or inspiration. In the essay, Hastreiter talks about industrial designer Dieter Rams (the designer of the Braun calculator and the square-shaped alarm clock, to name a few)’s idea of design. She quotes Rams, “Good design avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashion design, it lasts many years—even in today’s throwaway society.”

Hastreiter expounds more on the topic of course; to read what she has to say, get a copy of Paper’s April 2010 issue, or check out their website to see if they have it online. But for now, the part we want to share, which is actually more of the sidebar they featured than an excerpt of the essay itself:

Dieter Rams’s Ten Principles of Design
(Russnino’s note: these refer mainly to product design, bearing in mind the Rams is an industrial designer. Nonetheless, it gives us insight as to what graphic designers too can do to put that iconic stamp on their work.)

1. Good design is innovative: The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

2. Good design makes a product useful: A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

3. Good design is aesthetic: The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well executed objects can be beautiful.

4. Good design makes a product understandable: It clarifies a product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it’s self-explanatory.

5. Good design is unobstrusive: Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

6. Good design is honest: It does not make a product more innovative, powerful, or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

7. Good design is long lasting: It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years—even in today’s throwaway society.

8. Good design is thorough, down to the last detail: Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect toward the consumer.

9. Good design is environmentally friendly: Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

10. Good design is as little design as possible: Less, but better—because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Taken from Paper magazine, April 2010 issue, Note From Kim column by Kim Hastreiter, pp. 78-79.

Have you heard yourself saying, “I don’t understand? I have a gorgeous site, a really cutting-edge splash page with a flash introduction, up-to-date technology, I paid a small fortune for this site, and I’m getting plenty of hits but no one is buying or staying in the site.”

Well, you may be one of a growing number of businesses, both large and small, who believed all the hype about the latest in new technology. Many business owners want their website to have that cutting-edge look, and so will ask for things such as animation, music, flash, and other “bells and whistles” that would be detrimental to their site. These extras are probably driving potential customers away because they increase download time and are not search engine optimized.

In the rush to join everyone else on the Internet, businesses have ignored vital steps in the process of getting their business on-line. They assumed that because everyone else had gimmicks such as a splash/intro page, this was the right way to go. The result: businesses chose design companies who readily took their money and who designed exactly what the client wanted without clearly focusing on marketing goals. To be fair, oftentimes the graphic design company has no idea that a site designed with all the latest technology doesn’t necessary translate into a site that has the functionality that an on-line business needs. This is because the graphic design firms specialize in graphic design, not in marketing.

Many graphic design sites are full of splash pages, scrolling text, animation, etc. They use these tools because it allows the graphic designers to display their creativity and their knowledge of these “bells and whistles.” Creativity is good but all the latest cutting-edge technology translates into a lack of functionality to effectively market any on-line business including their on-line presence.

When having your site designed, remember that first and foremost, you are building your site to increase prospects and sales. Don’t look for a graphic design firm that believes all you need to do is get in the search engines and place banners to be successful. Don’t hire a designer that is new to the Internet–meaning they have years of print design experience but have just decided to expand their horizons to the Internet. Don’t hire a graphic designer that doesn’t have a professional copywriter or marketing person on staff and don’t hire a graphic designer just because they are the cheapest. Remember, cheap can cost you money–you get what you pay for. Hire a marketing/design firm that understands the difference between form and function and can apply it in a marketing perspective. Remember, many of these latest bells and whistles are very expensive and your site may not need them to be effective.

Every single design element affects your web sites functionality and marketability–from the decision about how the navigation will work to choosing the right colors, fonts, graphics, content, HTML code, and more. These will not only influence potential customers but search engine indexing as well.

If and when you’re ready to begin your on-line presence, start with a business plan and strategy. It is essential if you really want your business to succeed. Don’t be afraid to research marketing trends and investigate a marketing/design firm that will fit your needs.

If you are currently on-line but your business is not progressing as you think it should, don’t be afraid to request a web site analysis. There are firms that will analyze and help pinpoint areas of your on-line presence that need improvement for a successful Internet presence.

Last, but not least, keep an open mind to what the firm offers as suggestions for making your Internet experience a profitable one. Remember, this is their livelihood, this is what they do and they have the experience to back it up.

http://blog.philhosting.net/web-design/why-flashy-web-designs-are-bad-for-business.html

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Russnino.com is a professional digital interactive group. We specialize in projects that combine beautiful interactive design with intelligent technology. Here at Russnino.com, we understand that having a great website, a print piece, or even a beautiful logo is just not enough. You need results. We are a results-focused and driven shop. We love tying in creative marketing campaigns to our great work.

Web development, email campaigns, social media, SEO/SEM, media placement and other online marketing strategies are our focus. So if you’re looking for a great looking ecommerce site and a team that can follow through by bringing visitors and orders, you’ve found the right firm. Take a look at our portfolio to see what we’ve done for great customers like you. Give us a call, fill out our quote form, or just browse around our site.

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