I have always found the saying “Keep It Simple Stupid,” and the “For Dummies” series insulting. No matter what context it was said in or how helpful the books, I have never been able to buy into any products or services utilizing those sayings. Although I may not have been the smartest kid in the class, (OK, so I did graduate in the Top 10), the usage of the words stupid and dummy are akin to using profanity in my humble opinion.
Many months ago when we embarked on the mission to create a new website for Hammett Enterprises, LLC, I had all of these visions of grandeur. Six months later, the creative services director and I still had not come together on a final look for the website. Between client projects and life, our website’s splash page continued to count down to an unsure launch date. The thing is, my goal with the new website was to show visitors all of the “awesomeness” of our company. There would be sliding, flashing, flipping and gliding. Booming, twisting, flying and zooming. Then all of a sudden, I remembered all of the lectures I have given and all of the information received in training classes and from research. Some of the best websites are not those with all of the bells and whistles, but those who offer a simple experience for the user. So with that being said, Andre and I changed our focus and our new website’s countdown launcher finally began to count down.
Now, my new saying for website design is K.I.S.S. “Keep It Simple and Sightly.” When viewers come to your website, you have less than one minute to make a first impression. If they have to wait for all the videos to load, all the music to play, and all of the pop-ups to pop up, you may lose their interest before you’ve even had the opportunity to show them who you are or what you do. Don’t get me wrong, those tools when used appropriately can enhance a users web experience, but when placed in the wrong locations and at the wrong time, they can quickly become turnoffs. Viewers want a professional-looking website that opens quickly and is easy to navigate. Think about it…they want what you want. So I hope you enjoy our new website as we try to Keep It Simple and Sightly.