Print VS. Web Design

Print and web design indeed share several similarity methods, such as colour compositions and graphic placement. However, they aimed at different readers and measured diversely. 

Example of Website Design http://www.smartwebby.com/free_tutorials/CSS_website_design_guide/fireworks_tutorials/website_photos_content_insertion.asp

Example of Magazine design

http://findlucy.wordpress.com/

According to Nielsen (1999), there are three prime differences between the two design approaches, which are;

•             Dimensionality

Print canvas, like pictured in magazine example, could afford a fancy layout design and loaded texts since readers would be able to perceive the whole paper pages. Meanwhile, web design relies on scrolling tool in sightings view, hence a short and simple content is recommended. Complex and long texts would produce a confusion and time-consuming (Nielsen, 1997).

•             Navigation

Web design accommodates an experience to explore site’s content which attract users since it seem to give them control. Still, clear navigation provision, such as hypertexts link and main options in the web design example, is crucial to guide readers in the process and additionally functions as a design themselves, while print based medium mere support a limited page turning method.

•             Speed, Quality and Space

Print design is provided with a larger medium. However, it is faster to access web information which supports better image resolution. Nevertheless, web design is restricted in text’s quantity since a long writings in monitor are hard to consume. Moreover, complex font style is unacceptable considering the diversity of software available. Big words are discouraged because its constraint their scanning process (Hilligoss & Howard; 2002, Nielsen; 1997).

To conclude, print design depends on eye movement to explore complementary information and graphic which are simultaneously shown while website design utilizes hand control technique. Web design, nowadays, is still in a developing progress because the credibility issue concerned by users and also the design skills which need a special education.

References

Hilligoss, S. & Howard, Tharon 2002, Visual Communication: A Writer’s Guide, 2^nd Ed, Longman Publishers, United States, p. 7.

Morkes, J. & Nielsen, Jakob 1997, Concise, Scannable, and Objective: How to Write for the Web, Writing for the web, viewed 8 April 2012, <http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html>.

Nielsen, Jakob 1999, Difference Between Print Design and Web Design, viewed 8 April 2012, <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html>.