January 22, 2006
Does Design Matter?
Posted by Kevin | Print This Article
With the advent of RSS and syndication — technologies that divorce “content” from the “container” — many folks have decided that design, in particularly blog/webpage design, doesn’t matter that much anymore. People are only going to read your content in their newsreader (or Bloglines page, or MyYahoo, or whatever), so what difference does it make if your site looks terrible (or your blog looks like every other blog template out there)?
Except, of course, in order to read your content in their newsreader, they first have to decide to subscribe to it … and new research shows that web viewers decide on a site’s credibility in 1/20th of a second. They’re not evaluating your content in those 50 milliseconds. (Hat tip: Andy Wibbels.)
I think it is a very interesting topic for further exploration. Personally, I do think that design will continue to matter for three reasons. The first is the one you mention: effective and attractive design conveys credibility. When a site or a product looks good, we make an instant and typically positive assumption about its substance. And, I also think that good design creates a halo effect that causes us to overlook shortcomings, at least for awhile. A poorly designed site or product is unlikely to receive the benefit of that doubt.
Second, an authentic commitment to design is part of brand essence. Apple doesn’t just use great design on its products…it’s a part of everything the company does. To do otherwise would compromise the brand, and it does not matter that some customer interactions will occur outside of their highly designed containers.
Finally, RSS notwithstanding, good design will continue to create value for customers. Good design makes your actual visits to sites easier, more productive and a better experience all the way around. Good design is a source of a strategic advantage, particularly when married to a commitment to innovate.