Verecom Web Design Blog

Visual design is not my profession and strength, but recently because of work, I kept thinking about this topic. So I might as well explore the factors that determines the quality of a website, hoping to give some feasible design guideline.

What is so important about quality?

Quality can improve credibility and reliability of a website, which then gives your users a good first impression, initial trust.

Ordinary users do not understand user experience, nor colour dimensions, even the quality are not their concern, but they evaluate a website through the first impression.

1. What does this website do?

2. Is this website credible?

3. Is this website professional?

It only takes a few seconds to leave the first impression to the users: is this website worth trying?

Within the few seconds, users certainly not have the time to read the long-winded “about us” article, nor do they bother to experience the interaction process through searching, shopping and registration.

So what affect user decision within seconds?

1. Branding and reputation – you may not find the visual attractive, but if you have enough reputation, e.g. “as seen on TV”, that may help to stay longer.

2. Channels – user may enter a particular website through other sites they know well, for example links in eBay or partnership sites, though the website itself lack of reputation, but through its friend sites, it could affect user decision.

3. Content, also the base – a few seconds, user can skim through and get the idea of what this website does and if it fits what they need. Headlines, bold letters, pictures and price, all are helpful for user to make judgement.

Now in some companies, content and brand strategists are recruited to plan columns and contents.

Edited By Dan Li

Do not just listen to your users’ words, because users get used to describe what they expect as a particular feature, which misleads you as though that is exactly what they need the most. Also, users have great imagination, sometimes lack of logic, if you are not careful, your product can be ruined because of these few users’ requests.

Users are limited by reality, they tend to find a simple linear solution in real life, and refuse to think innovatively. For instance, if cell phone battery life is short, users only can think of maximizing the capacity, but not through other ways of supplying more battery, such as through walking, or cycling to give more energy.

No matter in what situation, you should first listen to your users’ opinion, then carefully analyse, and find out what they really expect.

Add more value but less interruption to your users

Apps store has a most useless application ever on a highest price, it is called “I’m Rich”, it can do nothing except showing a photo of a precious stone, sells at 999 USD. After 8 boring people bought the app, it was taken down from the Apple’s official website.

My point is not to fool your user, but to sincerely produce something that adds visible value to the users. Otherwise, no matter how great your product is, it may end up in the rubbish bin following Google Wave.

The common way to measure this value is saving time. Cloud solution, mobile solution are increasingly popular among users. Of course they can find alternative method in accomplishing their goals, but…just slower. So less interruptions in using the product saves more time for the users.

Edited By Dan Li

Microsoft Windows user experience design principles:

1. Reduce concepts to increase confidence
2. Small things matter, good and bad
3. Be great at “look” and “do”
4. Solve distractions, not discover-ability
5. UX before knobs and questions
6. Personalization, not customization
7. Value the life cycle of the experience
8. Time matters, so build for people on the go

(Source: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd834141.aspx)

iPhone human interface design principles:

Figure 1 http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/userexperience/conceptual/mobilehig/Introduction/Introduction.html

1. Metaphors

When you design applications, please learn about the existing metaphors in iPhone operation system, and do not redefine these metaphors.

2. Direct Manipulation

With multi-touch interface, iPhone users can enjoy a high level direct control over the operation system. Using gesture to communicate with the object gives user a feeling of control, as they do not need any media in between, such as mouse.

3. See and Point

Users no longer need to remember the steps of an application, because now the design is more intuitive.

4. Feedback

Besides seeing the result of their operation, users also need to have an immediate feedback from their action, especially in an application that takes long time to take effect.

5. User control

Let users initiate action and control behaviour, but not the application. Keep actions simple and direct, so that users can easily understand and remember them. It is best to adapt standard command or familiar user behaviours.

6. Aesthetic Integrity

Users expect a nice interface appearance, promise interests and encourage discoveries. Make sure your interface design elements are delicate in the application, so that they can provide a unify experience.

Edited By Dan Li

3. Create social proof, to stimulate users to follow

By showing the number of people have purchased the product, you are calling an immediate action, because stocks are running out, and users do not want to miss out on popular bargains.

The same affect you can create by showing the number of fans on your blog or websites. Such as in digg, users tend to look at the most “digg” articles.

Here are some common expressions:
- How many people have “liked”
- The many people have commented
- How many people have “purchased”
- How many users have “subscribed”

and so on…

Of course social proof can receive negative effect when it does meet users expectations.
4. Social network personal space messages

It is inevitable to click when there are new messages sitting in your inbox. Social network such as facebook creates an impulse for user to click whenever there is a new item or comment on their personal space. Same as iPhone users, new messages or new apps are outstanding and often trigger an immediate action. Such reminders can indicate a follow up action.

To sum up, the numbers display such as quantity sold or the amount of fans can not be fake, and it needs to be positioned at an eye catching spot, so that user can make a quick judgement. At last, new item reminder should be designed to attract attention, but not disturbing at the same time.

Edited By Dan Li

Surely we have all seen this scene: outside a shops front door, stood a loud speaker, playing very noisy repetitive sound: Last 3 days, closing down sales. And the shop covered with handwritten poster read:”Last 3 days.” Here’s the gimmick, these businesses are playing numbers to create scarcity, trying to motivate consumption, and you may see the same poster after a week on your return visit.

You would not be surprised in finding the same technique used on the net, the best example is the B to C (Business to Consumer) online stores, along with social networks such as facebook marketplace. We will discuss the four ways of using numbers to attract online shoppers in greater detail.

1. Create an atmosphere of scarcity and urgency
There is a sense of urgency we see “while stock lasts” and “limited time offer”. In terms of time, it uses a countdown to create a perception “you will be regretful if you don’t buy now”. A generate action usually takes place when time is close to the end. In terms of quantity, you may see on some online stores adding next to the product “finishing soon”, consumers usually cannot stand this kind of stimulation and take immediate action.

2. Create contrast, make buyers feel “bargain”
These days, buyers won’t recklessly make a purchase decision until they feel it is the “cheapest” and the “best”. Usually they like to shop around and compare different offers, ultimately make a judgement on the best “bargain”. You may see this on an online store, sellers will cross out the original price and highlight the discount in red, because buyers may not notice how much savings they can make if they do not compare to the original price, and often they do not care if the sellers are being genuine on the pricing.

Edited By Dan Li

It is worth noting: the design principle is an aid rather than a base for creative ideas.

It is helpful to use design principles to screen on all sorts of ideas, but if it gets too adhere to these principles, or even just to design around these principles can destroy creativity. Although it seems secure to brainstore design ideas within the framework of the principles. However, if we are confined by that, it is difficult to come up with surprising ideas.

This kind of idea is bound by specific principles. it is easy to gather different inspirations to enrich it.

The main points of design principles:

1. which is built on the basis of design research
2. it is concise
3. it is memorable
4. it runs through the entire design
5. it should be “easy to use”
6. it results from different sets of ideas
7. it is not self-contradictory

Finally, let’s share some examples of design principles once again:

1. quick, eye-catching, the use of pleasure
2. with a simple way input information into the calendar
3. it is more than just a calendar (memo to reminder and other functions)
4. easy to share, you can easily see your entire life schedule

Edited By Dan Li

As designers, we accumulate all kinds of good ideas over time, however before we begin a web design project, it is often a dilemma of which style to choose. Is it better to go for a eye-catching style? or vintage collage style? Which one is the most creative yet appropriate? Today we are going to talk about how design principles can aid us in this process.

Firstly, what is the design principles?

Design principles should reflect the core value of a product or a service, and they ought to be concise and memorable, which to be kept in mind throughout the process. In addition, all principles should not be in conflict with one another, but constantly be refined to become better aid for better product services.

Let’s take a look at 10 google user design principles. (For more detail, please go to http://www.google.com/corporate/ux.html)

1. Focus on people their lives, their work, their dreams.
2. Every millisecond counts.
3. Simplicity is powerful.
4. Engage beginners and attract experts.
5. Dare to innovate.
6. Design for the world.
7. Plan for today‘s and tomorrow‘s business.
8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind.
9. Be worthy of people‘s trust.
10. Add a human touch.

Edited By Dan Li

If you are thinking of starting an enterprise, the biggest and the most difficult hurdle is that of Capital Expenditure (CapEx). And one very important factor is the cost of software, since hardware is relatively less expensive. You look towards the heavens thinking where to find the answers from.

Well, you are looking in the right direction, for the answer lies in the clouds. Not literally, though. I am referring to Cloud Computing, a concept analogous to the electricity system.

Cloud Computing is the framework in which software and other services are provided by a hosting company over the internet. It’s just like sharing getting the power supply. Consumers pay for only the softwares they use through the cloud network. Users need not pay any attention to upgrading or maintenance, as that is looked after by the service providers. Scalability and the freedom to utilize the services across several devices and locations contribute significantly to the cost effectiveness of such services.

A novel concept, it has recently found its biggest admirer in Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who sees a paradigm shift in the way businesses manage their assets pertaining to hardware and software. So I say, let the clouds come in and bring with the rain of fresh perspective to all!

Edited By Henry Lu

Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand. The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that’s often used to represent the Internet in flowchart and diagrams. It is a general term for anything involves delivering hosted service over internet. These services are divided into following three categories.

* Infrastructure as a service (IAAS)
* Platform as a service (PAAS)
* Software as a service (SAAS)

A new generation of computing that utilizes distant servers for data storage and management, allowing the device to use smaller and more efficient chips that consume less energy than standard computers. In these applications, the software comes from the Web Servers, and the data may be saved on the servers as well.

Cloud computing is a better way to run for the small and medium business. One of the advantages of cloud computing are those both small and medium sized businesses can instantly obtain the benefits of the enormous infrastructure without having to implement and administer it directly.

This also permits accessibility to multiple data centers anywhere on the globe. You would have no need for a hard drive or a CD/DVD drive. Instead you would need only an Internet connection, which would hook you up to a central supercomputer that would host all your programs and files. This presents and advantage to both storage and security issues. When we use any application that runs in the cloud, we just log in, customize it, and start using it. That’s the power of cloud computing.

Edited By Henry Lu

In todays world when we understand that everything is on web, therefore it is imperative that whatever is put on there is of topmost quality. Therefore, it is important to present your business in form of a winning Website. One of the key elements which determine the strength of a website is the CMS, Content Management System.

CMS allows to create a high quality websites without having great technical difficulties. Also they are great source for making websites that will have multiple users or large amount of contents. Apart from these benefits, one can easily change the site structure as per there will, therefore any modifications or redesigning would not cause many problems.

The most beneficial thing about CMS is that you are always in Control, as they are so easy to operate and update, you can make the desired changes as per your requirement, which directly improves the security of the content on the website. For those websites, which requires daily interactions with there customers, CMS allows a direct interaction, adding a personnel touch to a client-customer relationship.

Not so long ago, some features in CMS were very expensive and were reserved only for big dynamic websites, but those days are over now everything on the internet is going interactive, as the open source software is getting more and more available therefore it makes sense to use CMS for your website.

Edited By Henry Lu