A successful website requires proper concept, design, and user experience. The concept should be developed through an open-minded two-step process of considering many options before eliminating down to the final design. Design is important from the beginning and must be optimized for users, not aesthetics. User experience focuses on making the site intuitive and easy to use without unnecessary thought. The goal is to improve the experience through service design and conversation between the user and site.

1. “what makes a
successful website”
Michael FitzGerald

2. today’s talk:
concept.
design.
user experience.
©xap

3. concept

4. properly engaging
with your dev team

5. the ‘brief’ meeting
not a designer,
not a developer

6. simple two step
process...
(from Seth Godin)

7. step one: open all
doors. consider as
many options as
possible, then add
more.

8. step two: relentlessly
dismiss, prune and
eliminate.
ship.

9. no building in step
1.
if you have new
ideas in step 2...

10. you’re only judged
on what’s there.

11. that warm and
fuzzy feeling

12. get it right before
a single byte of
code is written.
example...

13. design

14. “search engine
friendly” is not an
afterthought.

15. no wireframe preview.
removes the ‘wow’

16. hierarchy:
users
don’t read.
they scan
& zoom.

17. key pages design.
templates

18. 01 4567 456
vs.
01 4567 456
learn.
it’s easy to change

19. reviewing designs:
never on print!
only in the browser.

20. feedback:
complaining is
good.
becoming a
designer, not so

21. ux
user experience

22. if design is all about
the ‘visible’, then ux
is the ‘invisible’

23. ux saves the user
from thinking
unnecessarily

24. the ux belongs
to the user.
improve it with
service design

25. service design
+
-

26. copy: words are the
soul of ux
“message sent”
“report spam”

27. your site is the start
of the
‘conversation’.
make it easy for
them to continue.

28. xap example...

30. ...chat/use/type first,
then add the logo.

31. lastly...

32. “I have this
feeling _______ site
went live.”

33. thank you for
listening.
Michael FitzGerald