21st Century Web Design Essentials

There's Something About XML...

XML is in one sense a markup language like HTML or PHP. However, because tag semantics and tag sets are undefined, rather than fixed, XML is really a "meta-language" for describing other languages that you—the Web designer—define. To use XML, you write a Document Type Definition (DTD) that describes a series of tags and the elements to be used with those tags.

XML's flexibility is not only its greatest asset, but also its greatest liability. In order for computer systems to talk to each other using XML, they need to share a standard (in the form of a DTD). This invites numerous coordination problems, especially if different enterprises create different standards for the same application. Security is also an issue, especially for government Web designers, again because of the necessity of shared DTDs in order for different systems to communicate together.

Problems aside, there has been a lot of work done around XML, especially by enterprises with critical content management requirements. Small- and middle-market publishers have been aggressively pursuing XML-based workflows that elegantly store data for both print and the Web, and allow for cross-platform sharing of that data. Plus, these homegrown systems contain business rules and other logic that assist with content routing, deadline management, and archiving.

For Web design, eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) is of particular interest. It allows Web designers to define transformations on XML documents and XML-based data, creating presentation structures for end users. XSLT can also help transform XML into non-XML formats, such as HTML. It can work behind the scenes on the Web server, or on the client side with more recent browser updates.

XSLT is still a very complicated language that requires some programming sophistication. It has not been well incorporated into visual design tools, either. And unfortunately, today's browsers don't fully support direct XML rendering, so most XML-based Websites still need to transform that XML back to HTML for optimum compatibility. However, as design applications and browsers grow more sophisticated, expect to see more support for both XML and XSLT.

Just Browsing, Thank You

Every Web designer has his/her favorite browser mishap (lined up end-to-end, they'd encircle the earth eight times), so I won't add more to the pile. In spite of this, the number of browsers continues to grow -- Safari and Opera are two of the most recent entries.

Fundamentally, though, the end user experience remains unchanged from years past. Content and data are presented in a window, and requests for other pages or data are made through this window. Browsers also continue to be thin-client in nature, requiring the Web servers on the other end to do most of the heavy code parsing before they present results to a user.

If you really want to glimpse the future, consider events taking place at the extreme fringe of browser concepts. Here you will find applications that break the window metaphor and use visualizations, spider-Web imagery, and other non-traditional elements to guide a user to information or a destination. Some of the more interesting concepts include the Ambulator, the DataCloud, and the Webstalker.

These ideas have a lot of potential, as the traditional PC/monitor interface ages rapidly and the proliferation of wireless devices and wireless connectivity force the design community to deal with a myriad of new presentation platforms.

What Do I Need to Do About It?

As you approach Website design, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Can my users get to their desired information in two clicks?
   
2. Are my visuals distracting or useful?
   
3. What technologies are appropriate and not overkill?
   
4. Do my users know where they are within the Website at all times?
   
5. Can users get back to the front/home page with one click?
   
6. Is my content accessible to disabled users?

This list is simple enough, but many Websites continue to violate these basic rules--and frustrate users in the process. Remember, your competitor's Website is only one click away, so removing these barriers above will aid in keeping users (and their dollars) at your site.

Good Design is Good Business

The boom years distracted many from good design techniques as we were lead astray by a rash of new technologies and competitive fervor.

In today's more competitive and focused design world, the provision of clean, crisp information and interaction design leads to greater productivity on the design side and a better user experience on the client side. Plus, design applications have improved over time, incorporating many sophisticated features that allow designers to optimize their creativity, while keeping the programmatic side in check. What's more, these tools are no longer accused of writing "bloated" code—something that has in the past plagued these applications.

There are still many emerging technologies, a growing number of presentation platforms, and some lingering issues in today's browsers, but it boils down to this -- good design is good business.