The internet is the single most powerful tool for global information exchange and interaction ever to have been invented. New media – as the web and digital media were initially dubbed – are no longer new, but they are still rapidly changing and reaching further into people’s lives, in a growing number of ways.
With the development of a widespread and faster broadband infrastructure, including mobile broadband, the website has evolved dramatically from its early role as a basic linked information holder into a realm of motion video, high-end graphics, complex interactions, rich media and powerful data mining.
Very early text-based sites were largely bereft of any graphic design and the first sites to feature visual elements were often a hotchpotch of fonts, colours and emoticons. Because information architecture and graphic design in the early days of the world wide web were rudimentary, sites could be very difficult to navigate for all but the most seasoned and enthusiastic surfers. But as the complexity, richness and commercial power of websites has grown, so has the need for thorough and skilled design and development.
As part of this development, the so-called ‘web 2.0’ period ushered in a social dimension to websites and a new level of interconnection between web based services. Sites which exhibit web 2.0 characteristics typically allow connections and sharing between individuals and groups – via ‘friends’ and networks – as well as some degree of user-generated content. Web 2.0 stands for openness, interoperability and a focus on users’ content rather than content from the site owner. Much of this type of functionality is now wrapped up in the term ‘social media’ and its implications are still being borne out.
Add GPS location data and increasingly sophisticated mobile devices to the mix and the power and reach of the internet increase further. All these developments profoundly change the way that many people, businesses and organisations communicate. And it is through design – digital, information, graphic and interaction design – that these technologies and functions are integrated, adapted and delivered in appealing and functional ways to a wide range of audiences and users.
The power of the internet can now be accessed in many ways, but websites remain a core component of any online presence. All types of organisation can benefit from a well-considered and expertly built website – SMEs, big business, the government, public sector bodies, consumer brands and so on. And websites are now called on to perform a wide range of functions, including:
- Information delivery
- Branding and portfolio presentation
- Commerce and retail transaction
- Education
- Entertainment
- Dialogue
- Networking and social media
- Content aggregation and data mining
- Customisation and personalisation of content
Here is a small selection of sites from a range of organisations that perform very different kinds of functions for different audiences:
Designed by Poke
Free to access, but still commercially driven, the Manchester City Football Club website uses dynamic content, attractive data visualisations for match statistics and customisable products sold in the online shop.
Designed in-house
The Guardian’s online news site uses a complex grid layout system which mixes visual and text-based elements to present a front page spread of news and features. The challenge for news sites is to organise high volumes of content in a way that is visually appealing, easily navigable and continuously timely.
Designed by Illumina
WebQuests is an interesting example of a cultural heritage institution – in this case the National Portrait Gallery – using the web to connect its collections with various Key Stage-linked educational modules for schoolchildren.
Designed by Camber
The Lollipop Shoppe is a retailer of furniture and accessories and this site shows how a catalogue of products can be presented and sold with a clean, basic but functional and elegant design. It is an example of a portfolio or brochure website.
Designed by David Martin
The site for UK learning disability charity Mencap features video content throughout in order to deliver people’s stories in a direct and personal manner. It is an example of how the web can be used by charities to raise awareness, involvement and donations, as well as provide services online. In 2008, it won the Best Use of Web award from third sector magazine The Charity Times.
Designed by IDEO
Sony Open Planet Ideas is an initiative to crowdsource suggestions for using existing technology to solve environmental challenges. The site is designed to act as a repository for ideas and concepts, a forum for discussion and a central point of information. It is an example of a website’s power to draw together people from across the globe under a common point of interest.
Websites are often the first point of contact between a company, organisation, product or service and its users or customers, so the user experience is vitally important, whether the site is a simple ‘brochure’ presence or a more intricate web-based application.
As the complexity of the web grows so does the need for a well run design process. A carefully developed website can perform numerous tasks, often simultaneously. Skilled designers and programmers can ensure that a site not only looks, feels and works brilliantly, but also that it meets the business’ or organisation’s objectives, whatever they might be.
It is the job of designers and programmers to provide clients with consultancy on – and implementation of – the different functions that the web can provide. And because people are connected to the web more often, using a greater range of devices, and because websites draw on and display more complex information from more sources than ever, the importance of digital and web design continues to grow.