
Good design is innovative
Innovative design exists to provide long-lasting, robust solutions to problems that constantly evolve. For example, at the beginning of the mobile revolution, creating a separate website for mobile display was the norm, until responsive web design came along. Responsive web design enables a website to seemingly "adjust itself" to any screen size through CSS media queries.

Good design makes a product useful
What use is a very pretty website if users do not find it useful? The old version of Yahoo is hideous by today's standards, but, despite the browser limitations of its time, it was highly usable. It functions as it should: an online directory of information.

Good design is aesthetic
Aesthetics is visual harmony. It doesn't just refer to being "pretty." Each element of a webpage should be positioned, sized or colored for a reason. If it serves no purpose, it will only clutter up the page, not add aesthetic value to it. How do you create aesthetic design? To start, use meaningful colors. Decide on your color schemes carefully; don't be afraid to try other palettes. The colors that you choose for your website defines part of the experience it delivers. Study color theory and the psychology of hues.

Good design makes a product understandable
If you want to know how to make something understandable, take a look at the iPhone's lock screen. Have you ever noticed the subtle glow along the slider that moves in the direction in which you should slide? Subtle yet helpful.

Good design is unobtrusive
A good website design never draws more attention to itself than necessary. Rather, it should enforce user goals. Users need to be able to find what they need on the website easily. Let's take the case of Victoria Secret's case; a Victoria's Secret outlet is designed to have the cashier located at the back of the store. This gives the customer plenty of opportunities -- unsolicited ones -- to look at other products in the store and get distracted by items that are on sale. This increases the chances that they'll add something to their basket. Online, it's different. The checkout process is straightforward, secure and quick. The goal is to get the customer to buy what she wants as quickly as possible. No dilly-dallying required.

Good design is honest
Some websites incorporate elements that subliminally lead visitors to hidden pages or trick customers into taking unwanted actions. For example, think of complicated opt-out clauses on subscription forms. The double-talk and multiple negatives must be parsed, then tiny checkboxes (hidden within the paragraph, of course) located and checked or unchecked. It's perfectly acceptable to use design principles to aid users in making decisions and point them in a certain direction, but always be careful not to take it too far. It's unethical to use these principles to outright make decisions for visitors. Suggesting an up sell is helpful; using default options to sneak it into their cart just before checkout is deceptive. Honest design should be like a shopping assistant in an upscale department store -- not like a carnival barker.

Good design is long lasting
There is a thin line between what's trendy and what's good. Many trends are justified, but one thing remains certain: they always feel outdated after a while. Good design, on the other hand, is robust and evergreen. How do you create lasting designs? Avoid trends like the plague! Maintain basic usability and structure. Web trends come and go, but the principles of usability and user experience remain the same. Take a gander at some websites that have maintained their basic structure over the years. Coincidentally, they are also among the world's most influential brands.Amazon




Apple


Good design is thorough, down to the last detail
Each element on a web page should exist for a reason. Nothing should be created, positioned or changed on a whim. Thoroughness gives birth to elegance, robustness and timelessness. To be thorough, give each element the same care and attention that you would the entire page. Every pixel should be important to you as a designer. Rectify your mistakes -- don't hide them. Create a design process that works for you and follow it by heart.
Good design is environmentally friendly
Optimize without sacrificing user experience. Reduce the amount of bandwidth it takes to load an entire page by using optimized markup, web-optimized images, and minified JavaScript and CSS. The less time users spend waiting for your website to load, the more time they have to enjoy it. At the same time, you might even help reduce the energy consumed in serving and rendering your website, thus reducing its "carbon footprint." A website should remain usable and aesthetic regardless of the device, platform and browser environment in which it is displayed. User experience changes as environments change, and your design should be able to cope. Apply the principles of responsive web design, graceful degradation or progressive enhancement.
Good design is as little as possible
Less is more. For many designers though, it's very easy to get carried away with adding decorative detail.
Conclusion
Good design is the synthesis of all these principles. Applied in web design, these can be powerful tools in creating unique, memorable and effective experiences for your users. Learn them by heart.Dana Winslow
Dana Winslow (aka Dana on Drupal) is a member of the DWUser.com education team. DWUser.com offers software tools for developers and designers, including an easy and free jQuery slider builder, EasyRotator.
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