Well, everyone has limitations but we make plans around them, all in all. It improves our ingenuity. We see a potential problem and turn it into an advantage and have an adventure on the way. Face it; we were born with a problem. We were born human. Chuckles at you, folks, you have to face the fact that nothing in life runs smooth all the time, so why should web design be any different. Personally, I think limitations improve our ability to think outside of the box. That little screen in front of us that many of us sit glued to all day long. Let us look at some of the limitations and ways people have found around them.
Flash for instance:
Some websites use flash to load immediately without asking a visitor to that site. Personally, they lost me in that instance. Now the clever ones ask. Do you want to view this site with flash or Html. Now that’s overcoming the disadvantage of flash by giving the option. I click. I am happy, and I don’t waste my time with downloads, I don’t want. If it hasn’t got a use it shouldn’t be there. Most spiders from search engines don’t see flash or java anyway so why bother.
Color:
Limiting the use of color gives you a far better web site. Bold statement maybe but who likes to look at a everything under the sun website. You need uniformity. Make the colors you use fit into a small palette. The best designers do.
Fonts:
Think of when you first designed. Fancy fonts took your fancy. However, they are hard to read and people don’t stick around long enough to try. That’s one lost client.
Go for good clear simple color and font style that’s easy to read but at the same time makes an impression. For a start, check browser compatibility. If it’s not cross browser, junk it.
Size:
Many designers are going bigger and better in size, but you might have to take a step back here and think. While you can design bigger and larger for the big screens that are on desktops what about notebooks and netbooks?
These screens have to scroll for ever so the overall impression is lost. Limit the size. The days when Ipod’s and Iphones have folded out large screens are a long way off if they ever happen.
Which design makes the most impact to you, Apple or Microsoft? To me, it’s Apple. Its simple, it’s got a bite out of it, and it says it all.
Good designers use the limitations to the greatest advantage and turn them into an asset. They refine their tastes and cut to the basics of design elements and utilize them to their ultimate potential. Think of a good black and white photograph. It says it all, no need for color. You can see the pain in a face, or you can see the disasters. It’s not just printing costs that have kept newspapers to newsprint. The good ones do that is.
