Simplicity in website design

“Maximum meaning, minimum means”

Abram Games, British Poster Designer

By : Evan (0703976)

Sections

• Introduction• Simplicity in web design

– The importance of Simplicity– Techniques of Simplicity– Some Examples and evaluation

• Conclusion• Questions

Introduction (how complex our lives are)

– A small businessman in a country has to cope with 16.000 laws in order to carry on his business.

– In other country tax runs to 40.000 pages.– An old woman spent a week in shopping

mall in Holland, she could not find her way out. She bought a food in the day slept on a bench at night.

Edward De Bono. 1998

The Importance of simplicity

• Some research found :– Web users never read, they are

scanning.– They do not want to make more

effort to get information.

• So– They tend to use the simplest way

to find the information.

Techniques

• Reduction– Choose and put only the main

elements on the website which have the most important functions and remove the others.

• Regularization– Use same forms, shapes and patterns

on every pages

• Maximize leverage– Arrange the element to support the

most important element.

Mullet & Sano (1995)

Some Examples

Example 1 : www.google.co.uk

Rank(alexa) 1st 2nd 3rd

Function General search

Search Images Search maps

% 79 18 1

Example 2 : www.yahoo.co.uk

Rank(alexa) 1st 2nd 3rd

Function Mail Search Personal homepage

% 46 14 5

Example 3 : www.abertay.ac.uk

Rank (alexa) 1st 2nd 3rd

Function Mail Information Oasis

% 40 28 12

Evaluation

Website Reduction Regularizing Maximizing Leverage

Searching bar is very dominant,Simple pages

Same background colourSame fontsSame Patterns

All elements support search function

Mail, Searching, Many news.

Same background colourSame fontsSame Patterns

News is the main function.

Many information.Website shows a complexity

Some pages have different backgrounds, patterns and shape.

Information attracts new students and does not lead current students.

Conclusion

• Simplicity is the most important consideration in designing a website.

• Simplicity offers more usability to the users when they are visiting websites.

• Simple website has more economical value.

Thank You.

Any Question ?.