Clean Web Design
by Bob Stone on May.22, 2009, under Web Design
There are a lot of different features that you can add to websites, thanks to the powerful technologies available. However, just because you can add something, doesn’t always mean that you should. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to fall into the trap of loading your website with too many flashy gizmos that simply overwhelm and distract the user. This is a major reason why you should always work with a professional IT consulting company. This article covers a few of the biggest offenders that you should use sparingly, if at all, on your site.
Music and sound are a big one. Many people make the mistake of adding music and sounds to websites without properly modulating their volume. When the user opens the page, they’re hit with a sonic assault that, nine times out of ten, will just annoy them. It’s especially rough on people who are using headphones. It might also clash with any sounds or music that the user is already playing, and just end up confusing.
Flashy animations are an easy thing to overdo. While a nice, clean flash animation or game can be a fun part of a site; a poorly designed or obtrusive one can be an annoyance. For instance, if a user is trying to read something on your site, but there’s some flashing image flying around the screen, then it’s sure to get in the way. Another no-no along these lines is scrolling text, as it can just stress out the reader since they cannot read at their own pace. A nice, clean web page is a much more comfortable and enjoyable browsing experience.