Defining Ideal Design of a Website
A user experience is defined by much more than text, it is also defined by the context in which that text exists. KobeSam.ca has a lot of text, but there is more to it than that.
Every post that I create has purpose. The purpose of this post is to communicate my own ideals and beliefs in regards to design to you.
Design is about creating a medium to communicate that message (or more broadly, a device to accomplish a task).
Ideal design ensures that the audience receives the message in the way that the sender intended.
The Origins of KobeSam.ca’s Design
To create KobeSam.ca’s design, I began by examining the design of other websites.
After discovering elements that I liked on these sites, I returned to WordPress and selected a theme. Ideally at this stage, I would have done drawings and created mockups before moving into WordPress, but I recognized that WordPress likely would not be able to create the exact website I wanted. So instead of creating an ideal sketch, I moved straight into prototyping my ideas in WordPress.
I played around with different typefaces, colours, menus, and layouts until eventually, I came to the website that you see in front of you now.
Accessibility Considerations
When creating my website I considered four accessibility principles: perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness (Web Accessibility Initiative, 2019).
How I have implemented them
Perceivable: All media has alt-text and the website can be read by screen-readers.
Operable: The website is entirely navigable by keyboard.
Understandable: All posts are written in plain language and any complex terms are defined before use.
Robust: The website is compatible and friendly to all devices.
Design Principles I Considered
In creating the site, I chose to implement the following design principles:
- Symmetrical balance in the site’s overall layout.
- Simple rhythm in my header (and separation of my menu and logo).
- Scalability, demonstrated by the site’s ability to be viewed on many devices
- Contrast in both the typography and colours present on the site
- Unity, ensuring that all the principles work in unison to create a site that is representative of me
I believe that these design decisions have thus far panned out, though I constantly looking to improve and change my website so that it can better reflect the message I am sharing.
Closing Thoughts on Design & Creativity
Firstly, I would like to repeat my thought on ideal design from earlier.
Ideal design ensures that the audience receives the message in the way that the sender intended.
While my current design is not ideal, it is on its way there and it is worth noting that ideals can never truly be reached.
This site exists so I can record, share, and learn about ideas which I believe will help me advance my vision of a world in which people are unapologetically themselves. With its current design, I do believe the site serves its purpose.
References
Web Accessibility Initiative (2019). Accessibility principles. www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/
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