Words and Pictures
Web design isn’t much more than an arrangment of words and pictures. It’s important to regularly remind yourself of this. We can add as much animation and artsy flourishes to our work as we want, but the beginning, end, and center of it all are the words and pictures.
People go to websites for the content. They read books and magazines for the content. Content content content. It’s a buzzy word, but it is repeated for a reason. It’s absolutely imperative that designers have deep respect for photography, illustration, and writing. That’s a given, right? Why else would you be in this business? For the money? Go home.
I came to design through content. Maybe this is why I stress it so much. My first chosen profession was illustration. I spent two years in college focusing on a studio art degree in drawing. At the end of my sophmore year, I had a love affair with literature and changed my degree. After graduating, my first job was as a photographer. It was only a matter of time before I stumbled into a career making the presentation containers for all these things.
I’m not exactly sure where else to take this thought right now, except to say again words and pictures are the be all and end all of web design. Not all design. But most design. And most definitely all of web design.