We have all come across those websites…
The websites that broke your phone for part of the day…
The websites that after your device was able to finally load, you didn't even know where to look to get what you wanted. You start to forget what you are looking for because you have to start clicking to figure out even what the website is for. After fighting to navigate the site, clicking various random dropdowns, and getting lost in a rabbit hole of hell, you leave the website and almost want to drop-kick your computer. The sites that are so poorly designed, eyes can't stay on the website for more than half a second. You didn't care what information it had; you were not going to stay on it because of how poorly the site was designed and even harder to navigate.
Those could have been the solutions to finding everlasting happiness or how to make a million dollars in your sleep, but we will never know until the design can be updated. If the design of the website is not done correctly, all the hard work for the information or cause that that website is intended for will never get the recognition that it deserves.
There is always hope for these sites, and they can always be redeemed. A website needs to be well thought out and have clean and easy functionality and be able to grow and change as the elements on that website evolve.
Who is this site for? What does it have on it now, and what could it potentially grow into as the website's content grows?
These are important questions that we want to make sure we ask. If we build a website and don't account for the growth of content, and potential functionality changes things will be cluttered and harder to navigate.
No matter how complicated the content of the website is, you can always create a site that has clean functionality and a well-thought-out design. Sites that show this very well are sites such as CentroSanAntonio.org and PurIsoLabs.com.
These websites are always going through changes and growth, but the growth must be thoroughly thought out and completed with smart design choices and clear functionality additions.
Pur IsoLabs went through a complete website redesign. Providing the information that was similar to their first design but with updates to it to organize it in a way that benefited the user and could adapt to updates as the site expands. These changes help focus the message of the company as they have grown. These updates provide long-term viewers with an exciting new experience to see the product they love and discover more information about them, and new users with a clean design that they can grow with.
Updates are not always about fixing a bad design, but about improving a good design that was helpful for the site to grow and gain viewers. As well as adapt to the new web design styles that will benefit the site to grow even more.
An important benefit of the Pur IsoLabs website is the shop page. This update has two parts:
First, it needed to be able to grow and change as its product increased and allow its users to have an easy experience finding the product they need quickly.
The second part was for it to be able to be updated as new changes to their brands are updated and allow for the navigation on the shop page to be updated and adaptable for their customers. This would provide a new experience for the customers and be able to discover all the new products through a clean and easy process.
When we get to a site that should have the information we want but is designed poorly, we can get overwhelmed with the information if it is not easy to navigate or to connect with. If you have a lot of information, it is important to make sure it is easy to navigate and make it easy for the viewer to find what they need in the least amount of clicks.
The Centro San Antonio website is a great example of a website that provides an immense amount of beneficial information but in a clean design and provides users the ability to discover new areas of San Antonio, events, places to work, and multiple resources for the community without any difficulty.
The information is well laid out and filled with a rich design that does not overwhelm the user. The mix of these fundamentals is what has allowed this website to win an award.
It is always being updated with new information, and it's being done to help the community, but it is being done with a strong eye for what would best help the user get the information they need and be easier to navigate.
For someone newer to the city of San Antonio, this site will allow them to have an easier time understanding the life of the city and how to navigate it and feel even closer to the city and the people in it.
These items were achieved because of the fundamental questions that you have to review when thinking about your website and what the purpose of the website is and how it will grow with you.
Any website can go from a rabbit hole of hell to resources for life, but it is important to understand the fundamentals. These provide you with a dynamic website that can help promote the causes that you have fought so hard to create and grow and allow it to expand to people across the world.
