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I’ve recently come to the realization that I often take design more seriously than I’m supposed to. Great designers are simply supporting stories. Every typeface, every image, every detail should create an environment that is in harmony with the content it is presenting. That is why websites about motherhood have soft colors and elegant fonts and it is why Yahoo! Sports has grass textures in various ads on its MLB page.

When I attended An Event Apart in Chicago last year, one of the speakers was talking about data visualization and its necessary components. The best thing he said was, “You should only be including elements that are necessary to tell the story.” That applies to data as well as any other form of design. If you are including some element of your design that may seem like fluff, it probably is. And you probably don’t need it. Why direct someone’s attention to an element that isn’t really important?

Design props up stellar content and makes the user feel that they are connecting to the content, not a drop-shadow, for instance.

The Itch I Can’t Scratch

The most fitting example of the importance of content has got to be this site. For a few weeks now I’ve been toiling with iteration after iteration. I’ll change a color or try a completely different idea altogether, and am never completely satisfied.

Then I realized, “I haven’t really written anything valuable in over a month.”

There is a reason that sites like Craigslist and Drudge Report get so many hits despite a very raw and inarticulate design strategy. They have massive amounts of content. People don’t go to Drudge Report to see pretty colors or interesting animations. They go there to find out the most current information and trends available.

If you make your content strong enough, it is almost impossible to keep users away, assuming they can at least find what they are looking for.

So What Does Design Do Then?

It’s simple, actually (not doing it, but explaining it).

Good web design makes content visible, easily understandable, and pleasing to interact with.

For many people it just feels natural when they work their way around a site. Every menu makes sense. They find things where they logically should be. They often don’t realize that each of those interactions are a result of a decision that someone made. The, “where else would it go?” mentality that a user can get is not an easy thing to master (I certainly haven’t). Especially when you are considering a few million different opinions on where something should be.

Use Photos: They Play Both Roles

I witnessed a usability study not long ago with a person that was brand new to a site. As soon as this person hit the homepage, you could see them scanning the images before even reading major headlines. Many people know that photos add value. But I think few people realize how much. Of course this always depends on the goals and content of your site. But well thought-out photos never hurt. It can take more time and money than most people want to spend, but even adding one image per story can increase user satisfaction dramatically.

The beauty of well-chosen photos is that they aren’t texture, they aren’t detail, and they aren’t fluff. They just are and say things that some words never can, especially when you are dealing with a character limit.