Giving an exact definition of web design isn’t really easy because web design encompasses so much. When we’re designing a site for the World Wide Web, we are really looking at five distinct components: the visual component, the content of the site, the technology (often called “the back end”), delivery (via a web browser) and the site’s purpose. Finding a balance between these five components and deciding how they should mix changes with each designer’s opinion and, in fact, with each site. It’s always important to find a balance between the appearance of a site and how well it functions.
While we all want our sites to be modern and attractive to the person looking at it, it also needs to be user friendly and easy to navigate. Depending on the site’s purpose, ease of use may be of slightly less importance than appearance or vice versa. For example, if your site is created to display artwork, then the appearance of your art will be of vital importance. On the other hand, if your site sells kitchen supplies, you need absolute ease of use for potential customers as your foremost priority.
Dr. John P. Elcik, IV
The Pragmatic Web Designer
