

8 Web Design Mistakes That Developers (Non-Designers) Make  - german
http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/8-web-design-mistakes-that-developers-make.aspx

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sosuke
On the flip side, I can't stand building out a XHTML/CSS site from a designer
that comes from a print background. No considerations from the design side are
made for the web world. None of the front-end developers I work with would
make the mistakes listed but these guys and gals think of their work like an
art. To faithfully render the designers mockups into a document that can be
rendered identically across browsers and platforms in the fastest way is their
goal.

The points about free fonts and stock photography. Using system standard free
fonts is good for several reasons including initial cost. The main reason I
favor system standard fonts is being able to render headers and menus in text
versus having to load up and image which is wasted bandwidth for most cases.
Stock photography purchases are also tough to swallow for a developer but in a
proper setting the developer for the site shouldn't worry about the cost of
things because he isn't footing the bill! If it is a developers personal
project, understand that he is a do-it-yourself kinda person and will want
everything for inexpensive or free.

Sorry this article got me worked up a bit. I felt I fell into the developer
(non-designer) category but I don't know anyone so full of themselves to make
many of those mistakes. Can't we all just get along? ;)

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dawnerd
Yea, I can't stand print designers who try to do web. They think that all web
browsers are fixed width. I have vowed to never work on another project with a
print designer. It's just too much work and I end up designing the site
myself.

I also think its very helpful if developers learn at least basics of good
design in case they have to make some minor changes.

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chengmi
Mistake #9: "I'll spend lots of time making it marginally prettier instead of
building out features"

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nikolaj
As a developer who works with designers alot (cukerdesign.com), the things I
have found most often in contention are 1. white space, 2. when fonts Need to
be a certain way, and 3. colors matching (often with photoshop, comps and
such, colors get a bit altered due to colorspaces).

That being said, I think it is much easier for a coder to pick up on what is
important for designers than vice versa.

~~~
sosuke
I have a suggestion on color matching problems from design to implementation.
I have asked the designers at my employer to mark in the mockups the hex color
values for all elements in the design. This is a small extra step on their
part that settles disputes before they start. They also mark font sizes and
line-height (they call it leading I think) where needed.

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johnrob
I think there is a bare-minimum design quality necessary to launch a web
product. The limit depends on the audience. If your design is below that
limit, users will bounce off the page. Effort to exceed the limit is probably
a waste. A site just needs to look good enough to seem 'legit'.

~~~
mixmax
That is a programmer speaking.

Design is just like code, there is a version 1.0 that works, but isn't great
and still needs some features. So you iterate on the code based on feedback
and your own ideas. Design is the same, and if you include usability I think
it is more important to iterate on your design than your code.

I did a consulting gig for a semi-large online retailer where we changed the
design, the flow of the site, etc. Primarily design changes. And their
turnover rose by 30% because of it.

That's how important design is.

~~~
german
This Month tip: "If you really want to know if your Web site works, ask your
next door neighbor to try using it, while you watch.

(You bring the beer.)"

Taken from Advanced Common Sense (<http://www.sensible.com/>) I really
recommend the book.

~~~
mixmax
Wish you were my neighbour...

Mmmmm... beer...

~~~
german
Hahahaha, drop me a line if you ever come to Lima-Peru, I'll buy you a beer.
:P

~~~
mixmax
:-)

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kajecounterhack
I don't get his point. If you're an artist and not a developer, just submit
your PSD to a service like psd2html.com, and bada bing bada boom you've got
yourself xhtml 1.0 transitional, CSS based design, etc. If you're a developer,
you're usually better off hiring some nice design company...unless of course
you're skilled enough to handle both design and code? In which case...you'd
probably know all this 8 tips he gives?

And if you don't know these general ideas, why not just hire someone? Learning
design takes a LOT of time, more time than most math/science/computer oriented
coders are willing to spend simply on artsy design.

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bayareaguy
The list:

"I Know What Looks Good (and I Have Photoshop)"

"Just Use Blue and White Again"

"I'll Just Center Everything"

"Use the Free Font...It Looks Fine to Me"

"We Can Fit More Information in That Space"

"I'm Not Paying for a Picture"

"I Don't Need to Ask for Opinions"

"No Need to Get Too Detailed"

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mercurio
Do we really need a lecture on design from a site where every link opens in a
new window or tab?

~~~
benmathes
I had a similar thought. Try the sites that the article links too as "good
design". In nearly every case each site was clearly made by an artist in the
worst sense of the word -- The designs didn't map to what the page was trying
to do, it was far too cluttered with pageantry, and there was far too much
frill.

If the article's writer thinks those are the _best_ designs out there, then I
suspect the opinions are somewhat limited.

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imsteve
"Just Use Blue and White Again"

Screw that, this is the best rule ever! Really, why not? I have no designer
ego to feed.

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eusman
UI != design, UI complimented by design = yes

UI designer != graphic designer

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edw519
Yes, this sounds just like me.

And yes, I really oughta do something about it.

One of these days.

