In an article released yesterday Mashable did the honors of pronouncing the web design industry dead and although they did point out some interesting observation it’s quite questionable if it’s really a death sentence or a false pronunciation. In the article they outlined some key symptoms of the death of web design but the real question is: are they signs of death or innovation? By taking a closer look at the symptoms that they point out the answer becomes quite clear. Web design isn’t dead, it’s just evolving.
Templates and Quick Site Creation
The first point the article makes is that web designers aren’t needed anymore because of the presence of strong frameworks and good templates that let you almost instantly create your website yourself. The problem with the template theory is two fold; firstly, the question of who’s designing these templates is key and the answer is usually the same people designing your website. Secondly, and more importantly, is the fact that these templates are just that, templates, and often lack the correct combination of design and functionality that most people seek from their website. Most people can edit these templates to some degree but to really change them and give them the full functionality your website would have you’d need the knowledge of a web designer anyways.
Breaking the Web Design Patterns
Another point presented in the article is that the patterns in web design are maturing and becoming difficult to break from. This is probably the truest of all the statements that were made in the article and it presents a very difficult challenge to web designers trying to do anything new. The basic idea is that websites have to behave a specific way so that people can easily understand and navigate them. This kind of stagnation can be seen in every industry and doesn’t necessarily mean something bad, just because supermarkets are laid out the same doesn’t mean that they’re dying out. Creating a consistent layout settles a baseline and also makes it much more rewarding for good designers who are able to break the pattern and create something innovative and new.
Facebook Pages Overtaking Websites as Business Pages
Facebook pages as business pages have been on the rise however it’s impossible for them to completely replace traditional websites for two reasons, functionality and flexibility. Facebook pages give users the ability to find customers, interact with them, and then get them to do something but that something is extremely limited. The call to action on Facebook allows businesses to redirect users somewhere, be it an email, a website, or a phone number none of them have the flexibility of a custom built website. Without the use of apps or plugins Facebook pages lack the ability to do eCommerce entirely. This starts to present the same counter argument as templates, they had to be designed by someone in the first place and they’re going to lack the functionality a website can give you in the long run.
Are Mobile Users Killing The Internet?
The one part of the article that stuck with me the most was the portion about mobile being the death of the internet. This accusation in and of itself is quite an interesting one and out of all of them the one with the most holes in it. The main point of the mobile portion is that companies are now pushing apps over their websites for mobile users. This statement does have a degree of truth however the amount of companies with an app in comparison to the ones using mobile sites, responsive sites, or desktop versions is extremely skewed in favor of the ladder. Mobile sites have, if anything, evolved web design to make it even more viable in today’s market. Web designers are now needed to make mobile sites, apps, and responsive sites in addition to the traditional desktop versions for businesses.
Summary
Saying web design is dead is a strong statement with a lot of implications. By taking a closer look its clear to see that web design is far from dead, it’s simply changing. Templates, however quick and professional looking, lack the functionality that a custom made site can offer. Strong design patterns are not necessarily bad, we know what works and we can utilize it to make effective websites. Facebook can’t effectively represent a business for similar reasons to templates, it lacks the functionality that the custom made sites can offer. Finally, the increases in mobile users have, if anything, made web design more viable than ever because it increases the overall need for someone to develop something that will look good on multiple platforms. Web design is far from dead, in fact it may be more alive than ever.