Following on with my previous post about big sites, I have come across this post by Garret Dimon Why Big is In. This doesn’t just focus on the big in regards to website size and looks at why big is in throughout design :
“I am seeing a lot of discussion about how one of the Web 2.0 "trends" is big. Big fonts. Big logos. Big form fields. Big buttons. While I am sure much of that is people jumping on the bandwagon, there is good reason behind it all.
Big is simple. It is easy. It is friendly. And it is practical. Big is easy to click. It is easy to read. It is focused. It is direct and too the point. It forces you to make tough decisions with your real estate leading to more signal and less noise. Bigger is better. (Yes, there are exceptions.)”
I do tend to agree and infact think it is nice you don’t need binoculars or 20 20 vision to view websites anymore. It is direct and I agree it is a tool to use. Thing is, it is just another tool. It isn’t to be used as a finite rule. If you mix this with other design techniques you end up with a very effective design. It is about options not strict application to every site - it usually is.
Perhaps the last word (which I agree with) should go to Garret Dimon :
“Big is not a useless trend for style purposes. It is a conscious design decision to improve the usability of a site and the content. It is just convenient that it also looks so damn good.”|Big is in again|0||publish|open|open||big-is-in-again|||2005-12-05 18:28:22|2005-12-05 18:28:22||0|http://www.diaryofawebsite.com/blog/?p=76|0|||0
77|1|2005-12-06 19:00:03|2005-12-06 19:00:03|”So why has my christmas cheer already ended up in the rubbish bin? The main reason apart from not being overly into Christmas (I believe it is for kids and as have none the experience lacks), is that I am currently snowed in by workload. I am not unhappy as having work equals not being unemployed and money in the bank. Thing is, whilst everyone around me seems to be winding down I am overwhelmed both in my day job and freelance.
I am currently working on my juggling deadlines technique which is becoming very good. Time to even moan has been reduced down to occasional coffee grumble. I appear to be out of kilt with the rest of the world in the sense my feet aren’t touching the ground. For some reason christmas always seems to be a busy time for me. My quiet period is normally around march and april - probably something to do with the financial end of year.
It is good, I have work lined up that takes me through to autumn next year. Really, I shouldn’t be complaining about anything with that on my books. I really am getting the kind of tiny Tim feeling of pressing my nose on the window and seeing all the other people wind down, soak up the season cheers and generally have a laugh with tinsel. Everyone else at my work is coming to the end of their mad rush and as a result they are looking at interesting things to do with christmas decorations and mini trees, rather than bothering with any real work. Yes, I am jealous I admit it. Bah humbug and put another coffee pot on it’s going to be a long night.