Design is in the little things

Design for me is really about those small details. With technology pretty much anyone can make a web page. This is not saying it’s a well designed one. For me, the design comes from the layered small details to make up the entire thing and I believe that the true ‘art’ of design is in these little things.

The longer you do design the more the age old phrase “attention to detail” becomes a mantra. It’s a principle that is taught in design schools up and down the world, but it never really means anything until later – like with all things taught. As you grow as a designer the initial over development that comes to a design melts as the layers are stripped over time. Only with maturity of your design eye do you reach a point where “less is more” and the design can be allowed to breathe. At this point those little things shine through.

I find the truly great parts of any web design come through these details. It could be the way a form is styled or a background, a next icon, the way the links roll over or the border used on an image. As these elements all add up a great design comes from their uniting on the page.

Next time you look at a web page think about the small details. Take another look and see beyond the entire page. If you want, add that site’s link here and let’s see some of these great little things in web design. Any comments here will also more than likely be moved over to webspiration (the inspiration sketchbook part of this blog) with a credit to any poster. Get your magnifying glass out and lets focus on the small things.