Effective Web Site Design: Understanding Unity and Diversity
November 21st, 2007 in Web Design Worldview
by: Matthew Griffin
There have been thousands of books and articles written outlining, explaining, and defining the elements of a good web site design. Many usability experts even go so far as to dictate the acceptable size of various common web site elements down to the pixel. Everyone has their "fool-proof" checklist of parts that, when added together, should total up to a great web site design. Honestly, I'm glad it's not that simple. We're looking at web design like addition or subtraction when, in reality the sum of the parts is not equal to the whole. With that in mind, I'll move on to the main point.
The heart of pleasing web design rests in it's ability to effectively appeal to the human desire for both unity and diversity. Francis Schaeffer explains in his book He is There and He is Not Silent that this core desire is a result of the image of God in man reflecting the unity and diversity in the trinity. Simply put, our minds crave uniformity (unity) but if we don't have a break in the rhythm (diversity) every once in a while, we'll literally go crazy. This is a much deeper issue than logo placement and column width. On a very basic level every human being holds the concepts of unity and diversity in some kind of tension. Some may tend to favor unity while others lean toward diversity but, either way, both must be present.
The most vivid way to illustrate this principle is to look at two interrogation methods known as sensory depravation and sensory overload. In sensory depravation, as the name implies, the subject is deprived of all physical stimuli and forced to listen to an unbroken whirring noise for extended periods of time. In sensory overload, the person is subjected to loud chaotic sounds and bright lights. Both methods have a similar effect. Why? We are wired for unity and diversity and an extreme on either side is more than we can take.
Okay, enough with the philosophy. On a practical level, what should we do about it? The easiest way to start testing your designs for unity and diversity is to ask yourself this question, “If I had to stare at this design for twenty-four hours straight, would it feel more like sensory depravation or sensory overload?” When you ask yourself this question, take into account your own bias toward either unity or diversity and also the projected bias of the audience you are designing for. It's not an equation so keep tweaking until you get the right balance. Also, don't burn your usability checklist. I know I came down hard on the formula method but it can actually help you improve the unity side of your design. For diversity, look to the more experimental sites. Finally, understand that failing to recognize your own bias to one side or the other is your greatest hurdle to jump.
I'll leave you with two contrasting examples of the extremes.
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