Web Design

Bruce Temkin, a Forrester Research analyst, answers some Frequently Asked Questions about Web design in the Wall Street Journal article, "Good Site, Bad Site: Evolving Web Design".

Mr. Temkin cites navigation as the biggest problem Web sites are experiencing; with bigger and more complex sites, users are finding it more difficult to get what they want. Another problem is evidence on home pages that user tasks have been completed. For instance, a retail site that obscures it's return-product option behind a general tab like "Service and Support".

Temkin says the best sites answer the following questions: Who are your target users? What are their goals? And how are you going to help them achieve those goals?

The worst sites place personal or company preferences for Web designs over customer needs.

Finally, since customers can only say what's wrong, but not how to fix it, it's imperative to have good design mechanisms and skills from the start.


Follow this path and you'll build a stronger business.