Why the Web Fails To Please the Eye and Brain

One of the worst habits of Web designers is to "prettify" sites with digital animations created by Flash software. Think of how many times you've logged off Web sites because you've been locked into a seemingly endless (and irritating) animation. That's Flash. It was fashionable in the late 1990s, but now simplicity is in favor.

When did you last see a well-designed Web site? One that wasn't just great to look at, but so easy to use that you found what you wanted effortlessly? And when did you last grumble about a badly designed site having spent far too long trying -- and failing -- to find something?

I'd love to think that there'd be more enthusiastic answers to the first question, than grouchy responses to the second. But sadly for the millions of us who waste so much time struggling to extract information from the Web, it's bound to be the other way around. The blunt truth is that far from being visually pleasing, intelligently organized and simple to use, too many Web sites are ugly, cluttered, sluggish and brain-fuddlingly difficult to navigate.

There's no logical explanation for this. Lots of smart design graduates go into Web design, and it's at the forefront of technological innovation. Even corporate dinosaurs now recognize the value of a well-designed Web site, and design budgets have risen accordingly. Why then are so many sites so poorly designed?

Read More Article...