Usability vs. Aesthetic: Smackdown!!

That 404 error makes me want to go ape s–t.

I’ve been thinking this week about the merging of form and function. We generally don’t think about websites as works of art; they’re far too utilitarian and work-horsey. Most websites can perform a variety of tasks- you can spend or receive money, interact with all different types of media, share opinions. . . and, well, we all know there are a thousand other options for making an ass of yourself online, on nearly every site on the web- like this ridiculous Twitter fight (language NSFW) between Scott Baio (oh, Bob Loblaw, I’m so disappointed in you!) and the biting wits at Jezebel. The duties a website performs can seem secondary to the design, to the naked eye, but anyone who spends more than a few hours on the computer a day can tell you that an attractive site is nothing but a lovely shell, without usability and functionality.

The sites most people love are the ones that have the elusive form/function combo- sites you know immediately how to use and navigate and where you never find yourself more than a few clicks away from where you want to be. Some web designers air more on the side of attractive flourishes and elegance and some are more concerned with the practical side of things (for the record, Noah and I are generally fans of usability above all else). Truly great websites have an equal measure of both.

An awesome web designer will help you create a site aesthetic that is attractive and relevant to your organization and they should also be able to create a usable site with a funnel that will take your visitors where you want them to go. Building a smartly designed site with conversion in mind isn’t like painting a picture- it’s more like assembling the components of an intelligent machine. You want your site to work tirelessly to take your traffic to your donation page (if that’s what you want) and also let users comfortably navigate without giving them easy opportunities to leave your site.

When you’re working with your web designer to develop your site’s aesthetic, you don’t want to seem like a complete doofus. A website is not going to look exactly how you see it in your minds eye, or how you might draw it after a visit from the muse, a bottle of Jack and a run-in with some oil pastels. You must weigh your desired functionality equally with your desired aesthetic. Basically, what I’m saying is be willing to make some compromises in the service of usability (not utility). Much of the time, you’ll be able to get what you want while making smart choices about functionality, but in those times that usability has to take aesthetics to the mat. . . well, I can’t make this call for you. But usability should win, every time.

Here are some resources to bring you up to speed on basic web design principles:

Smashing Magazines Excellent List of Web Design Tenets

And here’s some stuff NOT to do.

This fiddler will tell you what graphic design is: