Why web design by committee doesn’t work

As you’re reaching the close of a web-design process, the reality of it going live sets in. You think: What if I got it wrong? So, you consider sharing it with friends who have some distance and will give their honest opinion.

Wait. One. Minute.

This is where web design can go haywire. Here’s why:

Asking someone’s opinion when they have little context is rarely useful. The “context” of a website is its goals, its market, its personality. Without this context, it’s unlikely that “constructive comments” actually will serve. Instead, uninformed opinions might water down the intended impact.

The website was designed for a target audience. If your advisers aren’t part of it, their reactions aren’t predictive. A good website, like a good ad, is aimed at a specific audience and its “point of pain.” If you’re watching TV and see an ad for a denture-care product, the only way that ad would incite action is if you wear dentures or will soon. Otherwise, it bites.

You will get conflicting opinions. Then your advisers could lead you down the wrong path. “Design by committee” means you’ll end up with something that no one hates, but also no one loves.
Imagine if the designers of the dollar bill asked relatives what they thought of it. “It’s nice, but why so monochromatic?” or “It’s a little too big to fit in my pocket.” But then also “It’s too small and it gets lost in my purse.” So instead of sticking to their guns, the designers try to accommodate everyone, and end up with a boring bill at best.

When you seek opinions, people go into critique mode. But the website has not been made to be critiqued! It’s been made to be used. When you ask someone to look at the site, this person is not seeing it in the way a passerby would. They are looking to find fault. The request creates a bias for critique. A passerby would be visiting not to find fault but rather to get something of it. Different viewpoints!

Here are some ideas to assuage your last-minute website doubts:

Return to your original intentions. Look at the first source document. What were your intentions? Were these fulfilled? If yes, then most likely you can hit the “Go Live” button with confidence. If not, what changed? It is possible that your web design got derailed. But deliberately identify the problem before making that crucial diagnosis. And don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Ask specific people specific questions. Sending someone a test site with no context can result in faulty feedback. Instead, ask people specific questions that they are well positioned to answer. Have an industry expert bulletproof your facts. Get someone with poor eyesight to read the text. Can a first-time buyer fill the shopping cart and complete the purchase with ease?

Ask yourself hard questions and trust the answers. Doubts often are the result of having avoided difficult questions throughout. Don’t make things worse now by seeking outside reassurance. Instead, confront the issues head on. That’s far better than farming out criticism. Get some distance — say, a day away from it — and then take a hard look. Write down your perceptions. Ask yourself what really needs to change. Once you’re clear, be courageous and go live.

Don’t worry; you can always tweak your site after it’s published! That’s the beauty of the internet; it’s infinitely adjustable.

Laurie Macomber, owner of Fort Collins-based Blue Skies Marketing, can be reached at 970-689-3000.

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