A Novel Approach to Web Design
Besides being a web designer, in my spare time I also work on writing novels. While they’re not Stephen King, actually going through the process has taught me a bit about what it takes to write a successful novel. What I realized the other day, though, is that writing a novel is actually pretty similar to designing a web site.
1. There’s almost always a plot
When most people read a novel, the thing that propels them forward isn’t the great delicacy of the prose, nor is it the author’s insight into the human condition. The force which keeps most people reading is the sheer power of plot.
Though must websites aren’t linear like a novel, most of them do have a plot, a course of action that you want them to follow. Take, for example, an ecommerce site. The plot might go something like this…
Our hero is on a quest to find the perfect birthday present for his six year old daughter. He’s already discarded the idea of Barbie dolls because they promote an unhealthy body image. Consequently he’s looking for toys that are more wholesome than the run of the mill. He types “wholesome toys for kids” into a search engine. Your website specializing in wholesome toys is on the first page of results and he clicks through. On your site he finds the perfect present, adds it to his cart and places an order.
In order to make plot work for your website you need to…
- Somehow interject your site into the visitor’s story
- Make the actions your visitor should take into a natural progression, removing any obstacles from his path
2. Remember your genre
Of course, ecommerce sites aren’t the only sort of sites around. There are blogs, brochure sites, web apps, and more. When you are designing your site, it isn’t enough to just know the plot. You also have to remember what genre your site is in.
How many people do you think would keep reading a book they thought was a horror thriller when they finally realized that it was actually a romance novel with no horror and no thrills?
There’s a reason that different sorts of sites have different design conventions. While you can sometimes get away with breaking them, first you need to have a thorough understanding of why the conventions work.
3. Learn by imitation
Speaking of conventions, have you ever noticed that most beginning writers start by writing in imitation of someone else? In fact, one of the standard writing exercises in fiction courses is to write a short story in imitation of someone else’s style, whether that’s Hemingway or Edgar Allen Poe. The reason for this, of course, is that learning to write great fiction is often easier if you have a model to work from.
In web design, we have hundreds and thousands of excellent models to work from. If you’re designing a website for a client, obviously you shouldn’t be ripping off other people’s designs. But you can imitate without copying. Taking ideas from someone else’s design and adapting them to a new situation is one of the best ways to learn how to create things on your own.
4. Revise, revise, revise
Finally, of course, there is revision. Can you turn out a great novel on the first try? Can you do it every time? Unless you’re Robert Heinlein, probably not. (Heinlein’s infamous third rule of writing is, “You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.”)
Often it’s much easier to revise a bad chapter into a good chapter than is to write a good one in the first place, especially if you’re just starting out. And if you do write something good right away, revision can help you turn good into great.
Likewise for web design. After you’ve had enough practice, you may be able to turn out really good first drafts of a design, but there is always room for improvement. Consequently, there is always room for revision.
What do you think? Are there other ways that designing a website is like writing a novel?
Like this entry? How about giving it a stumble?
Popularity: 22% [?]
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe via email. Thanks for visiting!
#3 is interesting - I clicked through to comment from my feed reader solely because of it.
I too started learning xHTML/CSS by taking apart good designs - as they say, when you’re learning, learn from the best. And that means ripping the best designs
You’re absolutely right, Sumesh. To become a master one must sit at the feet of the masters.
Nice post!! It’s rather timely for me - I’ve recently started redesigning a whole slew of my sites, and every time I consider an idea, I ask myself:
“What’s the story?”
As a matter of fact, I have that written on my lab notebook (the one I take with me to karate and write in while my kids participate in the beginners class). It always helps focus my ideas - what’s the story? With what do I want to engage the reader? What emotions do I want to evoke? What actions do I want to compel? etc.etc.etc. Starting your design creation from that bedrock often leads you down paths you’d never have considered otherwise.
“What’s the story.” Once you have that down, ideas will flow.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps - and thanks for visiting my blog before; I very much appreciate it.
@Barbara: I’m glad you found it helpful. Remembering that every person is the hero of their own story is an excellent exercise in figuring out how you can add to their lives. Thanks for stopping by!
You can tell you write often, Joshua. I came from DBT because I thoroughly enjoyed your post there.
I’m not much of a writer (although I am improving), but I can definitely relate when it comes to web design.
@Armen: I’m glad the practice actually shows through.
I’ll probably have some advice on writing on here in the near future. Thanks for stopping by!