For designers, there’s always the danger of putting form before function, of providing dazzle without enough substance. I know I’ve been guilty of this more times than I care to admit- even to myself. The truth is, it’s just easier, less of a challenge to pretty something up and leave it at that.

But designs, like so many other things in life, only work when they truly serve their purpose. A website should fulfill its goals and look great while doing it. I like to think of this as the motivation behind the design, and find that it helps to keep a few questions in mind when working on a new website:

What does the visitor want?
Always, always put yourself in the shoes of the person viewing your page- whether for the first time, or the tenth. Ask yourself what he wants, why he’s looking at your page in the first place, how he got there. This progresses naturally to the next question…

What does the visitor need?
I once read that the secret behind the luxury Four Seasons Hotels’ impeccable service is that their staff is trained to anticipate their guests’ needs. That’s something you should strive for when creating your website. Will your visitor need to contact you after visiting a page? Make sure you include a contact form there (or place an obvious link to one). This way, you give them what they need before they even know they need it.

Why does this page exist?
For example, your front page: it exists to highlight important elements, to link to the various sections, to establish the design feel of the site. Ask this of every new page you create, whether it’s an About page or a Site Map or a Privacy Policy. Asking why a particular page or section exists is also a great way to keep to the essentials: how important is it? Remember, if it’s necessary, it’ll always be useful.