Sadly, when most companies consider their intranet or website, they first think about the design. It’s even reflected in their language… “We need a redesign.”
Users, however, first and foremost put access to information as the top priority – but not the first consideration. A recent study confirmed that the first thing a user notices is the site design – a design that can motivate or de-motivate their use of the site. However, a user’s top priority is information access and ‘speed’ – or how quickly they get what they came for.
Nonetheless, despite the overwhelming and unnecessary emphasis on it (pause to think about the importance of planning, governance, content, usability, etc.), design still is important. In fact, a web user will make a judgment about your site within a blink of an eye – in the first 50 milliseconds (1/20th of a second), according to Canadian researchers at
“It is the first thing people think to change; the first thing people notice; the first thing people complain about; and it is the last thing that should be changed - the design,” says Catherine Elder, Consultant, Prescient Digital Media.
“Redesigning a website isn’t a simple matter. People tend to think that if they could just change a few colors, the font, and add a photo, their website will be a winner. Unless there is a solid foundation in the form of an information architecture that addresses user and stakeholder needs, the site will not be a success – and that is never pretty.”
The key to a successful design is understanding both the user and your organization’s needs and finding a marriage between the two, and that of best practice design and usability. Catherine walks through the design process in Design I: Making your site pretty can get ugly.
Related items:
Intranet Design Wars (back issue)
The best government intranet designs
Top intranets of 2006 – more than design