shepherdweb.com

What are web design and development? I put these words across the top of your browser as if I own them. So, what do they mean to me?

Art

This is what web design is all about; unique, spontaneous creation bubbling over from endless inspiration; a continuous flow of ideas, molded via your craftsmanship, into beautiful, thought provoking art. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were like that?

In my experience, art is more of a process than an event. It has beginning, a middle, and sometimes an ending. A client with unique requirements can be the impetus for blastoff, other times daily tasks can spawn a new perspective on an old idea. After birth, the idea matures and breathes; it will sometimes take on a life of it’s own. Growth is pruned, leftover pieces often becoming building blocks for future art. Others will begin to see glimpses through the artist’s eyes until eventually it becomes necessary to present the creation to the world.

Creation does not have to end at presentation. The presentation of creation is merely a snapshot of it’s existence at a given moment in time. I love relating this analogy to the web because the internet is such a rapidly evolving medium. Web design lends itself to a that medium through the need for continual adjustments to keep up with technology and to have current, relevant content. There are literally billions of possibilities remaining to be explored on the web!

Is art in web design merely the outward appearance, or is it the actions, behaviors, and responses that also exist in this pliable medium? Just a thought.

Some would argue that it is difficult to create art when you are working for a client, especially a picky, micromanager type. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of clients who trust me, and I make it a point to educate my clients about best practices on the internet regarding their business. One of my most persnickety clients was also colorblind; this turned out to be a great learning experience and opened up new ideas for me. The point is this: sometimes “limitation” is the mother of invention. If you have only a limited set of tools to work with, could you still create? Absolutely.

Science

Under the hood, what makes it tick? This is where design and development meet. Brilliant art is born from intimate knowledge of the subject and the medium. Could Michelangelo have created David without a thorough understanding of the properties of the stone he was chiselling?

The underpinning of the web consists of multiple technologies working together. While HTML is the foundation for most, it can also be XML or even just text. Add graphics (.jpg, .gif, .png) and CSS and you’ve got all the tools you need to create a visually appealing design, right? Now add in Javascript, Flash, and a multitude of server-side languages, and you’ve got a recipe for ingenious illumination, or dull disaster.

A common misnomer, perpetuated by WYSIWYG design tools (in my opinion), is that if you use these technologies you will have a great design. Having the technologies at your disposal does not make you the master of them…nor does it imply any level of knowledge about how they work. The technologies are merely tools. In the same way, owning a drum set does not make you a drummer. Study and practice are required to become master of any tools.

Communication and Functionality

The essence of art is communication; the essence of science is functionality. These two concepts blend together to become web design and development. One without the other is depreciated.

Synergy - the bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously.

Mark Twain

Synergy is what I strive for in web design and development; form and function coming together in a beautiful complimentary singularity.