Anywhere, at any time
"Design for everyone and you design for no one" is a phrase that you may have heard thrown around in the design world. However, Anna Dahlstrom set out to disprove this theory in her Internet Week Europe presentation entitled 'Designing for Everyone'.
One could perhaps be forgiven for approaching a design-based presentation tentatively, particularly if 'one' has limited experience in the area. After all, we all know that Web designers are pedantic, jargon-spewing creatures, right? Wrong.
Dahlstrom's seminar proved far from a marketer's nightmare as she emphasised the importance of a well thought through website design. She said that designers "should involve stakeholders throughout the planning process" by getting them to identify the aspects of a website most important to them. She highlighted the need to clearly segment audiences and design Web pages that will not only draw in those close to purchase but also those without a clue as to where to start. We've all had that moment when we simply cannot find what we are looking for on the Internet no matter what we try.
Dahlstrom also claimed to be "a big advocate of trying to find something that's going to work in the future as well." That makes sense; what's the point of creating something that is simply going to need updating in a couple of years? You need to think long-term when it comes to web design. It comes down to making sure you get things right first time; it will pay off in the long-run.
My foray into the unknown world of design proved to be a valuable one, with some worthwhile insights. And if you're not convinced of the importance of planned design just yet, I will leave you with a tweet which Anna herself used to drive home the point of her presentation: "Every time you redesign, God kills a kitten". Is that persuasive enough for you?
--Simon Hall
