Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015

1.            This reading centers on user-focused design.  It critiques different web sites that do not take making things simple for the user into consideration.  The article demonstrates the importance of user-friendly design interface by stressing the point of navigation.  On a website, the user must be able to clearly and quickly find what they are looking for; otherwise, they will move on.  As far as users go, the easier a site is to use, the more traffic it is bound to receive.  Flanders also stated that the more bells and whistles a page has, such as word graphics and flash programs, the more distracting it will be.  The function of a website is to get users the information they need or want as quickly as possible, and by adding these unnecessary things, the page may be slowed down and it will be more difficult for them to get what they desire. 

2.            The first point Flanders makes I feel is the most important.  It says that the website is made to tailor fit the users’ needs, not the creators’.  The second point draws from the first, because it explains that in order for a website to be successful, it must fit the four second rule, in which it should only take the user four seconds to figure out how the site works/its mapping/etc.  One major problem I encounter with websites is their use of unnecessary flair in order to make the page more viscerally appealing.  In the long run, I want to see a website that is neat, simple, and not intimidating.  Point number six is also significant, because it focuses on site navigation and mapping.  In order for a site to be behaviorally appealing, it must be easy to navigate.  Ultimately, anything that complicates use of a website or makes it visually incomprehensible is to be avoided.

3.            A webpage, in my opinion, must be easy to navigate.  I hate when I visit a site and it makes you jump through hoops just to get to a simple thing, such as contact information.  It must be visually appealing—the use of unnecessary flash graphics, and textual graphics that appear fuzzy, make me move on and try my luck with another site.  So many of these points are stylistic, which make a large difference in how a website is perceived.  If it looks legitimate, it probably is.  The text must be large enough for me to read it, but not too large to make me think that it is never-ending.  As long as it is, first and foremost, behaviorally acceptable and easy to use, in my opinion, the website creator has done their job.