The Golden Rule

Here's a simple rule for web design that every web designer should know

Everything that goes into your web site must have a purpose.

Every single element and decision must help users achieve their goals and support the site's goals.

How to design web sites successfully

Success isn't just restricted to professional web designers. Anyone can easily learn the essential skills required to design sites to the new standard.

Successful design does not always depend on attractive visuals, though that can help. Success is primarily a result of good thinking. For me, this approach should result in a site in which everything -structure, brand, page layout, graphic design, and error handling - is deliberately geared to success.

The guidance on this site gives you everything you need to be a web design expert and create excellent sites, starting now.

The most important tool for designing to the new standard, is my "Golden Rule".

Every element that goes into your web site must have a purpose.

Every single feature must either

Help your visitors achieve their goals, or
Support the site's goals without obstructing the visitor's goals

Web Design from Scratch is a complete system for designing sites to the new standard. The processes help you build a complete web site from clarifying your purpose, and creating a solution in architecture, layout and page design.

Every step of the process rigorously applies the Golden Rule. The result will be a web site that really works.

For a more comprehensive guide to designing effective web sites, see my ebook “Save the Pixel - the guide to simple web design”.