>
> You are thinking like an engineer (me too!) Most people care at
> least as much about the form as the content (witness AOL). Superior
> information, presented in a clear, organized fashion, might draw fewer
> hits and less participation (among non-engineers) than some
> heavily-themed eye candy. Sad but true.
Untrue. Virtually all profitable Web sites have clear, logical designs
and navigation schemes, and stay away from glitz/gimmicks. Even AOL has
an internal logic to it, and their designers take care to remember that
most of their users are on dialup modems.
Bold colors and creative graphics may be "eye candy," but there is no
reason for them to ruin a site's usability.
The best industrial design takes both engineering and esthetic factors
into account. I consider Web design a variant on industrial design, but
few seem to understand this. How many people who make or think about Web
sites have ever heard of or studied Victor Papanek -- besides Jakob
Nielsen and me, that is?
- Robin
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