Simple.
Browsing around the web reveals a strong trend in the industry these days : Simplicity. More and more design is being created to support the content of the site, not just to look pretty. Makes a whole lot of sense, especially since that’s what the print industry has been up to for years. How is it the we “webby” folks lost our way? That’s a topic for another post perhaps.
There’s a great article over at webdesignfromscratch.com that talks in depth about a more concise approach to design and why we should all be in favor of it. Let me give you a break down of the reasons it’s beneficial.
1 : Immediacy. Keeping things simple and relevant will help your page will load quicker, increase it’s responsiveness and help land you higher in a search result for your niche. Loading faster means less time waiting which alternatively means more time looking. Additionally, if you’re not adding lots of “fluff” for search engine spiders to sift through your site is going to look better to them and help you get indexed. We like more immediate search results.
2 : Communication. The less you pull away from your info with flashy distractions, or the more your support your content with simple, intelligent, graphic cues the easier it is to find what you’re after. In the end, isn’t that what you’re viewer is there for anyway? Didn’t they come to find out more info about you? Keeping things well structured and simplistic accommodates the fact that most of us “scan” a page instead of read it. Lets face it, everyone is a in a hurry these days. (Whether they need to be or not.) Providing a clean layout of info with “white space” to set it apart enables your users to pick it up with their wandering eyes faster. They’re drawn to it. If the site is easier to scan that should mean it’s easy to find your way around and navigate too, leading us into…
3 : Ease of use. Keeping things within reach of your audience at all times and designing a visual flow of info to help guide your users around your site will only make the experience more enjoyable. This should serve to boost not only an audiences desire to return to your site (and maybe bring friends) but the credibility that you offer as a brand. “Oh Jack’s Widgets.com? Yeah they’re great, and so easy to use!” *Should be translated as cha-ching!*
There’s a plethora of other reasons simplicity is storming web design and they’re proving to be beneficial to everybody involved in the process. Even we designers reap the benefits; easier maintenance, quicker turn around time, easier to swap out visual themes, more time to invest in development, more time for playstation… err… I mean more time for… outlets for creative energy… Yeah…..
Andy