Critique Wall.com

Yesterday while flying from Dallas to Minneapolis, I listed to the Design View Show #8 podcast. The Design View Show is a weekly podcast by Andy Rutledge that looks at design and the business of design.

In the most recent episode, Andy discusses how the term 'web standards movement' has done a good job at drawing attention to web standards but that focus moved to the technology and not the craft of designing good websites. He talks about how the leaders in the design community, namely AIGA and Communication Arts, promote and feature only Flash-based websites.

While I have nothing against Flash as a medium, (I think it certainly has it's place on the web) I have always struggled with Flash-based websites. The navigation usually leaves a lot to be desired, the back button is disabled and they require that the visitor has a plugin. I think there are a very few cases where Flash only sites work.

Many times, I have looked through design annuals and competition results only to find flashy sites that are not well built. Sites that come more from the tradition of multimedia CD's and not good solid web design. Andy makes the comparison to building a house. Say you walked into an amazing spec house and found it filled with just amazing details. Never had you seen a house like it before. The paintings on the wall were all masterpieces. The floor plan was unlike anything you had ever seen. So you reach for the door to the first room to open it up and the door frame jams, the hinges are installed on the wrong side. While the house looks amazing, it is not functional. All the faucets are installed backwards, the light-switches work opposite, the heater puts out cold air and the fire place.. well don't even try to light that.

In a way that is how many of the websites that are touted by the design annuals and the big design thought leaders are. They may look nice, but will the hold up over time? Can you add content to them? Are they functional and usable or merely a niche site that works well for a few months and a limited audience?

Take a listen to what Andy Ruthledge has to say. Then start retooling your vocabulary.