Not so long ago I had the opportunity to provide a critique of a number of websites and web applications for a government agency. The sites in question had many different purposes, and served different target audiences. It was clear that they had been designed by different individuals or design teams, because despite all being products of the same agency, there was a complete lack of visual consistency among them.

One web application design in particular stood out, unfortunately for the wrong reasons. It was ugly to say the least, with an incredibly complex visual design consisting of swooping curves and beveled edges that served no functional purpose. It probably looked funky and different when it was launched, but today it looks an embarrassment. I was informed by the unfortunate web developer who had inherited the site that it was a nightmare to maintain, precisely because of its complex visuals. This developer jokingly said of the application’s designer that “he probably did it as a portfolio piece.” The designer in question is no longer with the agency – if this site is typical of the rest of his portfolio, one cannot help but wonder if he still practices web design…

However, it struck me that “he probably did it as a portfolio piece” is a phrase that could be applied to a large number of web designers these days, and it got me thinking about my own career as a web designer during the last ten years.

The fact is that designers often have big egos, and love to produce impressive portfolio pieces. I used to design sites that were big on graphics and cutting edge visual design, but I quickly came to realize that the look of a website is but a small factor in its overall success. In fact, as I look over my ten year career as a web designer, I can say that the issue of the graphic “look” of a site has become less of an issue, as other factors have become more important. This is not to say that the sites I design today are less visually attractive than ones I did years ago – in fact the “less-is-more” approach to visual design that I have more recently espoused has helped me produce my best work.

What I have come to realize is that a website will not necessarily succeed because it looks good, but because it achieves the goals set for it, and because it gives its target audience what they are looking for. Web designers need to understand business – the simple interactions of people in the day-to-day transactions of life. When I buy a product or a service I want the security of knowing that the vendor has my interests at heart, not just his own. As far as a website is concerned, this might be achieved by having content that is updated regularly, and relevant to me; navigation that intuitively enables me to carry out the tasks required, such as quickly finding information, or completing an e-commerce transaction. I need a sense of wellbeing, an experience of interacting with the site that is pleasant, and free of frustration. Most importantly I want to know that if anything goes wrong with the product I buy, there is somebody who cares about me and will quickly deal with my problem. This sense of security can only come from personal interaction. If I scream at a computer in anger and frustration, it will just sit there, silently mocking my emotional outburst. If I scream at another human being, I am probably going to get a reaction. This need for human interaction is surely why blogs have become popular – they allow people to engage and relate. Apart from understanding visual design, today’s web designers need to be experts in information architecture, user interface engineering, and the basic human need to communicate with other people.

If you are seeking web design services, you need to understand what you want from a web designer. If it’s a pretty face your web presence needs, any designer will do. If you want a website that will actually benefit your business, you will need someone with more skills than the traditional web designer will typically offer.