While doing some research on search engine optimization (SEO) for my web design book, I came across a page from Google’s User Experience team that discusses the organization’s design principles. Upon reading these principles, I felt compelled to share it with the world (or at least the three people who read my blog ).

The folks at Google have come up with a “words to live by” list for web designers everywhere – not just those employed by Google. Here are the top ten principles. Read the details at Google’s site.

1. Focus on people – their lives, their work, their dreams… above all, a well-designed product is useful in daily life.
2. Every millisecond counts… unnecessary clicks, typing, steps, and other actions are eliminated.
3. Simplicity is powerful… think twice before sacrificing simplicity in pursuit of a less important feature.
4. Engage beginners and attract experts… the best designs appear quite simple on the surface but include powerful features that are easily accessible to those users who want them.
5. Dare to innovate… it is the element of imagination that transforms designs from ho-hum to delightful.
6. Design for the world… design products that are contextually relevant and available through the medium and methods that make sense to users. [Amen!]
7. Plan for today’s and tomorrow’s business… if a profitable design doesn’t please users, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind… a positive first impression makes users comfortable, assures them that the product is reliable and professional, and encourages people to make the product their own.”
9. Be worthy of people’s trust… make sure the interface is efficient and professional, actions are easily reversed, ads are clearly identified, terminology is consistent, and users are never unhappily surprised.
10. Add a human touch… text and design elements should be friendly, quirky, and smart – not boring, close-minded, or arrogant.

I recently came across some interesting comments about what designers commonly refer to as “the page fold.” In the print world, this concept originated with folded newspapers. The theory is that any content displayed “above the fold” on the top page would be the key to someone buying the paper and continuing to read. Without something to hook readers in that section, you risk them not picking up the paper at all.

That concept has carried over into web design, with designers and content developers pushing the content most likely to hook readers into the area immediately visible without scrolling. Is that unwarranted?

A design agency in the UK thinks so. But I’m not entirely convinced. For example, I just read about Facebook’s new redesign. Based on customer feedback, they are moving the birthday list “above the fold.” In other words, customers don’t like having to scroll to see who’s celebrating a birthday. Or, more likely, they are missing birthdays because the information is not immediately visible when the page loads. (Confession time: I admit to the later.)

So here’s what I think: users will scroll for information they deem scroll-worthy. However, they might get lazy and forget sometimes, so just in case you might want to put the really-good stuff in the top part of the page (you know, the place otherwise referred to as “above the fold”)…

I think it’s about time I shared one of my favorite web sites. I feel a bit guilty for keeping it to myself for this long! It’s called Design*Sponge, and is a frequently updated blog covering all sorts of different creative design topics. My favorite sections are called DIY and Before and After. I have gotten so many fabulous ideas from perusing the endeavors shown in these pages. One of my favorite DIY projects created decorative window films (shown right) – just what I needed to give a little privacy to my front door!

What You’ll Need (for the project shown right):
1. contact paper, clear (this is for lining drawers, you can find it at hardware or drug stores)
2. ruler
3. scissors or exacto
4. paint pen
5. tape

Read the details for the decorative window film project.

• 1.25 million Americans work in the visual arts.
• One in 111 jobs is in art and design.
• The economic impact of art and design exceeds that of sports worldwide.
• The creative industries are an estimated $30 billion export annually.
• Jobs in design have increased 43% in the past ten years.
• Yearly sales of art reach an estimated $10 billion in the United States alone.
• There are over 532,000 designers working in the U.S.
• More people are employed in the visual arts than in all of the performing arts and sports industries combined.
• 200,000 people are employed in the film industry.
• People spend approximately $55 billion annually on video games.
• The computer animation industry generates $33 billion annually.
• Jobs and employment in many creative industries are growing faster than the labor force as a whole and make up 30% of the work force by some estimates.
• America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year.
• By 2016, jobs for artists and designers are predicted to increase by 42%.
• Arts-related businesses in the country’s largest cities represent 4.3% of all businesses and 2.2% of all jobs in the United States.
• There are 3 million people working for over 600,000 arts-centric businesses in the United States.
• Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 12%, more than four times the rise in the total number of U.S. employees.
• Designers are the single largest group of artists, followed by performing artists such as actors, dancers, musicians, and announcers.
• Employment of interior designers is expected to grow 19% from 2006 to 2016.
• Median salaries of: Creative Directors–$90,000, Art Directors–$86,505, Fine Artists–$48,870, Multi-media Artists and Animators–$61,555, Graphic Designers–$46,925, Set and Exhibit Designers–$49,330, Producers and Directors–$86,790, Broadcast Technicians–$40,270, Photographers–$36,090, and Film and Video Editors–$66,715.
• Wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow 11% by 2016.
• Animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming and computer-generated imaging have the best job prospects in future of the motion picture and video industries.
• There are about 94,000 computer artists and animators working in the United States.
• Jobs for photographers have increased 38% in the past four years.

Sources: Americans for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Entertainment Software Association, Ringling College of Art + Design

I’ve been thinking about redesigning my site (it’s about time), but like the old adage about the cobbler’s kids wearing old shoes, my site often takes a back seat (particularly when I’m busy). While I am quite busy these days, I have been feeling a strong desire to let out my interest in “vintage grunge” design. I’m not sure when or how that will play out, but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this collection of vintage design on the web for inspiration…

Click this preview to see the entire list: