| John Piper said in a July 5, 2003 article (God is Not Boring) of World magazine that, "imagination may be the hardest, most God-like work of the human mind. It is the closest we get to creation out of nothing. We must conceive something that has never existed before and does not now exist in any human mind...All of this we do, because we are like God and because He is infinitely worthy of ever-new [expressions of His glory]." While God's ability to create compares to our ability to "create" like the Rocky mountains compare to the ripples on an orange peel (to borrow another Piper analogy), it is true that our being made in God's image gives us an ability almost totally unique in all of creation, and that is the ability to conceive, to design and finally to create. Piper further argues that imagination is a Christian duty for two reasons, the second being that, "presenting breathtaking truth in boring ways is a sin. The supremacy of God in the life of the mind is not honored when God and His amazing world are observed truly, analyzed duly, and communicated boringly...Imagination is the faculty of the mind that God has given us to make the communication of His beauty beautiful." I agree, and this is the attitude I try and bring to everything I design. Whether the application is specifically Christ-proclaiming or not, as an image bearer of God Almighty, it is my aim to honor Him in everything I do (and to not let it be boring). For those interested in a slightly less abstract analysis of my design sensibilities, read on.
As part of a recent design forum, I had opportunity to lay out my Top-15 Tips for Better Web Design. The list was made to help some aspiring designers better understand the essentials of web design. For what it's worth, I'm including the list below, though, in the end, principal #1 trumps all the others. You're either a designer or you're not. Where applicable, I've included links to "good" examples of each design tip. You will find that there is a lot of overlap both in good and bad web design. The well-designed sites generally satisfy all of my 15 recommendations, and poorly-designed sites violate the vast majority of them. The first 8 tips are more theoretical in nature, the second 7 are more technical.
THEORETICAL
1. There is NO Substitute for Basic Design Sense
All the formal training in the world (color theory, typology, object distribution) cannot compensate for a basic failure to be able to perceive what looks good and what doesn't.
Good Example
2. Don't Expose Yourself (a lesson from Proverbs 17:28)
Proverbs tells us, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise”. Such is true in design. If you can't pull off the jaw-dropping great effect, keep it simple and no one will be the wiser.
Good Example
3. Be Consistent Throughout Your Site
Every page should match the overall look and feel of all the others, and don't forget about your “Missing Page” file (404), search results, or script results.
Good Example
4. A Strong Logo is Invaluable
Good Example
5. Color Should Reflect Content (and it shouldn't be annoying!)
Most clients will already have some sort of color scheme. If not, the nature of their product or services should give you a place to start.
Good Example
6. Be VERY Careful with Background Images
With rare exceptions, solid color backgrounds are the way to go.
Good Example
7. Use Pictures Whenever Possible
People love pictures of other people.
Good Example
8. Look at What Others are Doing
Find inspiration in the successful sites of others in the field or others who are trying to appeal to the same demographic. Don't be afraid to “View Source”.
TECHNICAL
1. Use Style Sheets to Control Your Fonts
Big, unruly, “times-like” font are a major tell-tale sign of amateurism.
Good Example
2. Use Tables (Until You Master Style Sheets, That Is)
Tables are rapidly being replaced with the more versatile CSS work arounds, but until you're extremely proficient with this approach, tables may be your best bet. One way or the other, make sure everything lines up.
Good Example
3. Design with Components (or whatever they're called in your HTML editor)
All common elements should be built externally and linked from each page so design changes can be made just once and then applied to all pages.
4. Don't Be Restricted to HTML Text - You Need to build your own graphic headers
There is no way to be a successful web-designer without some proficiency in Photoshop.
Good Example
5. Organize First - Design Second
It's much easier to decide on the front end how everything will be linked together and how you will keep all your files and directories organized. This is IMPERATIVE for large sites or sites where multiple people will be working on them.
6. Go to the Edge
With rare exceptions, keep your body margins at “0”. It's another mark of professionalism.
Good Example
7. Don't Use Frames - Don't Use “Counters”
Search engines can't handle frames and will often bring visitors straight to pages which are supposed to be embedded in a frame. I've never seen a “professional” site with a web counter.
Good Example
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