Different people, experienced or inexperienced in web development, assess the value of a website differently. Is it pretty? Are the graphics original and cutting edge? Does it have attention grabbing flash banners? Or, others might say, is it usable? Readable?
Accessible? Can I find what I want?
The sweet spot is between these two visions of what makes a successful website. Flashy graphics and banners are always nice to have, I but only if they are serving the larger purpose.
Today I want to focus on simplicity and why it is always best to be too simple rather than too flashy.
THINK CRAIGSLIST, FACEBOOK, and GOOGLE
Three of the largest and most successful websites in the world have very little to their websites. Google has its branding image and a search box, Facebook a simple two-tone design with straight-forward navigation, and Craigslist has about zero-zing factor—its plain, but it works, and that’s why people use it.
