Preface................................................................................................................2
Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites..........................................9
You Need A Separate Web Division..............................................9
Managing Your Website Is A Full-Time Job.............................11
Periodic Redesign Is Not Enough................................................12
Your Website Cannot Appeal To Everyone..............................13
You Are Wasting Money On Social Networking....................13
Your Website Is Not All About You.............................................15
You’re Not Getting Value From Your Web Team....................15
Design By Committee Brings Death...........................................17
A CMS Is Not A Silver Bullet..........................................................19
You Have Too Much Content.........................................................20
Conclusions..........................................................................................21
Portfolio Design Study: Design Patterns ..............................22
Light vs. Dark Design........................................................................23
How Many Columns?.......................................................................24
Introductory Block On Top?...........................................................26
Layout Alignment..............................................................................27
Navigation Alignment......................................................................29
Search Box Design.............................................................................30
Flash Elements.....................................................................................30
Where To Put Contact Information?...........................................31
“About Us” Page.................................................................................34
Client Page............................................................................................34
Services Page.......................................................................................35
Portfolio Page......................................................................................36
Workflow Page....................................................................................37
Contact Page........................................................................................38
Specials And Extras...........................................................................39
Other Findings....................................................................................39
Summary...............................................................................................40
Creating A Successful Online Portfolio...........................................42
Pitfall #1: Obfuscating......................................................................42
Pitfall #2: Cramming Information................................................43
Pitfall #3: Overdoing It.....................................................................44
Pitfall #4: Unusual Navigation.......................................................44
Pitfall #5: Visual Clutter...................................................................45
Principles of Effective Portfolio Design.....................................46
Define your Criteria and Strategies for Success.....................46
Consider Multiple Portfolios..........................................................47
Target Your Market............................................................................49
Prioritize Usability..............................................................................52
Use the Right Technology...............................................................52
Plan The Project..................................................................................54
Limit The Scope And Type of Work You Promote.................54
Provide Adequate Contact Information, Documentation
And Explanations...............................................................................56
Present Your Work In The Context of Your Goals..................57
Infuse Your Personality In The Design.......................................58
Promote And Leverage Your Work..............................................60
Develop Long-Term Goals..............................................................60
Better User Experience With Storytelling......................................62
It Begins With a Story.......................................................................62
Revealing the Design in Stories....................................................63
The Power of Emotion......................................................................65
The Basics of Storytelling for User Experience.......................68
Happily Ever After: The Reality.....................................................72
A Few Modern-Day Storytellers...................................................73
The Storytelling Experiences Around Us...................................83
Designing User Interfaces For Business Web Applications. .89
Websites vs. Web Applications.....................................................89
First, Know Your Users......................................................................91
Design Process....................................................................................94
Design Principles................................................................................97
Essential Components Of Web Applications........................103
Don’t Forget UI Design Patterns................................................105
Case Study: Online Banking Application................................107
Final Thoughts..................................................................................108
Progressive Enhancement And Standards Do Not Limit Web
Design............................................................................................................109
Shiny New Technologies vs. Outdated Best Practices?.....110
The Mess That Is The Web...........................................................110
Creating Celebrities And A Place We
Wish We Were At.............................................................................111
Hollywood And Advertising Teach Us Nothing...................112
The Myth Of Innovating Exclusively Through Technology
................................................................................................................113
Innovation Isn’t About New Toys..............................................114
The Corporate Spin On Innovation, And Its Consequences
................................................................................................................115
The Stockholm Syndrome Of Bad Interfaces........................116
This Is Not About Technology Or Design..............................117
Where Is The Beauty Of The Web?...........................................119
To Recap: Our Issues......................................................................120
Why Standards Matter, And What “Following Standards”
Means...................................................................................................122
Progressive Enhancement Works..............................................123
Best Practices Come From Application And Iterative
Improvement.....................................................................................125
Together We Can Do This............................................................126
Color Theory for Professional Designers.....................................128
Warm Colors......................................................................................130
Cool Colors........................................................................................134
Neutrals...............................................................................................137
In Brief..................................................................................................143
Traditional Color Scheme Types................................................144
Creating a Color Scheme..............................................................155
Conclusion..........................................................................................163
Is John The Client Dense or Are You Failing Him?..................165
Explain Why You Are Asking About Money..........................165
Justify Your Recommendations In Language John Can
Understand........................................................................................166
Include John In The Process........................................................167
Educate John About Design........................................................168
Communicate With John Regularly..........................................169
Explain John’s Ongoing Role.......................................................170
The Moral Of The Story.................................................................171
How To Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients
...........................................................................................................................173
The Passive-Aggressive.................................................................173
The Family Friend............................................................................175
The Under-Valuer.............................................................................176
The Nit-Picker....................................................................................177
The Scornful Saver..........................................................................178
The “I-Could-Do-This-Myself”-er..............................................179
The Control Freak............................................................................181
The Dream Client.............................................................................182
Wrap-up..............................................................................................183
How To Respond Effectively To Design Criticism....................184
Have The Right Attitude...............................................................187
Understand The Objective...........................................................188
Check Your First Reaction.............................................................190
Separate Wheat From The Chaff...............................................190
Learn From It.....................................................................................191
Look For A New Idea......................................................................192
Dig Deeper When Necessary......................................................193
Thank The Critic...............................................................................195
Web Designer’s Guide to Professional Networking...............196
Why Network?..................................................................................196
Networking Tips for Designers..................................................200
Group Interview: Expert Advice For Students and Young
Web Designers..........................................................................................209