UKNM: Design, Design, Design

[Piers Beckley]

> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 00:39:33 +0000

>

From: neelesh <nsonawaneyahoo [dot] com>

> Subject: Re: UKNM: Design, Design, Design

>

> Progressive, innovative and cool sites!

> Don't they push the visual literacy of the user further? Look what

> RayGun did for print design. The difference being though that print

> is a familiar medium.

>

> Jacob Nielson's vision of design ideal could be similar to us all not

> using apostrophes at all 'cause it's too damn confusing. Oh and also

> don't use words longer than nine letters or at least break them up so

> they are easier to understand.


Hmm. Interesting analogy here.


Let's take The Sun Newspaper. In November 2000, it had a circulation of

3,508,319 copies, making it the most popular daily paper in the UK

(http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=abc&type=&nocook=y&c=97678997758

630&compactivity=Publishing&hcount=1&jobfunct=Research&reason4visit=To+check

+competitors+figures - you'll then need to click newspaper data / national

newspapers). It's estimated that total readership is about 3 times

circulation figures

(http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/media/mediaown.html),

meaning that the Sun is read by approx 22% of the UK adult population (rough

figure of 46 million for UK adults).


The Sun is is written in small words that everyone can understand

(http://www.ltg.ed.ac.uk/helpdesk/faq/Texts-html/0040.html suggests that

tabloids write for a reading age of about 12 - I couldn't vouch for a nine

letter word limit). It is not progressive, innovative or cool. It does not

push the visual literacy of the user further. It is the best selling daily

newspaper in the United Kingdom.


If you're designing a site for artists, or visual people, or want to make a

statement, that's fine and I wish you well. If you want to make a profit, I

would suggest that you listen to Uncle Jakob.


Piers



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