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Form v/s Function
The age old question. Can't we all just get along?
Sad, but true
As a graphic/web designer, I would love to think that what I put out there has an impact, but the reality does seem to suggest otherwise- when I browse a site, unless I'm specifically there for the design, I tend to ignore it and look at the words. I think most of us do. Does that make designers obsolete? I don't think so- the Web wouldn't be where it is today if it had remained the dull grey of its infancy. And while the greatest value of the internet might be the email and search capabilities, I think there will always be a place for strong design.
Graphic Design = Overkill?
Theresa, I agree with your comment that when you go to a site, you pay attention to the words and not the pictures. Graphic Design, however, is not only a matter of throwing color and illustration on a page just for aesthetics. Graphic Design also involves clearly separating topics in a readable fashion. This page that you're reading right now is an example of graphic design. Gray bars separating the content, bold titles, a graphic to quickly represent whether you agree or disagree. THIS is graphic design. The most beautiful graphic design generally tends to be simple. Please don't equate graphic design with an overkill of graphics. Yes, I believe Form follows Function...but without Form, the Function may very well get lost and never even be read.
A fair fit with my own view of the 'Net
Dudrow's near-minimal "n" study nonetheless manages to come pretty close to my own sense of what is valuable about the Internet. I push content into first place, but otherwise tend to agree with most everything said in her article.
Why Use Graphic Designers?
I agree email is the quickest way to communicate with the least amount of hassle. This article however, undermines the importance of graphic design and the web in general. Not all information can be represented in the few short paragraphs that are generally sent via email. Anything more is hard to skim and looks downright boring.
Take the birth of "WWW" for example. The internet existed as text for about 20 years before it became to be known as we do today. Once graphics were able to be integrated, its value grew exponentialy. Then database integration shot it through the roof. Do you really want "good 'ol plain text." Go back to 1990 and knock yourself out.
Also, I'm surprised that this was posted on a web site strongly frequented by graphic designers. This article grossly undermines the value that we bring to representing information in a clear fashion. Imagine this web site without any graphics and sent to you via email. I hardly think the site would be successful.
It sounds to me like the author jumped on the "down with Flash" bandwagon without realizing that Flash has its purpose. Sure, Flash is grossly being misused. The focus, however should be on the design integrity and not on the tool itself.
Boring
Stop wasting my time with this fluff and stick to real world issues like how to create good content
reality for most non-tech-heads
The reality of all the graphics seems to be designed mostly for the designers own egos, like in most forms of art. If the a common denominator is lost with a steep slope of 'know-how' or whatever, people are going to opt for the simple designs and simple functions, ergo email/content is king. This article along with the bad responses already listed point out directly how tech-heads end up being navel-gazers clueless to the majority of the international audience out there, further 'ghetto-izing' the industry as cited by the article.