» Web Design and “Cookie Cutter Creations”

A little over a month ago I wrote a response article entitled “Sorry Art Javid Blogs Are Not the Problem.” This article was my response to the article “Blog and CSS Only Sites” which Art had posted on the American Design Awards website. Since then Art has addressed the concerns I raised in my response and posted a revised version of the article as “Cookie Cutter Creations.” My original response to the article created some very strong options from Positive Space’s readers, so I wanted to follow up and post my impressions of Art’s revised article.

At the time I originally wrote my response I was slightly upset by the way the article was written, but I did see the point Art was trying to make. On August 3rd Art did post a response to my article in the comments, but unfortunately I did not see it at the time. Because many of the readers of this site may have also missed his comment, I have reposted it here at the bottom of this article.

My opinion after the revisions

Art seems to have taken the concerns raised by my original response, and the reader comments to heart. His article is now less about the tools used, and now focuses on the true point he was trying to make. The point is that web design and websites all seem to be morphing into blogs or at least the same format as typical blogs. When this happens, it truly is a shame. I am a true believer in the power of blogging and what it can do for an individual or company. This however does not mean that every site out there should have a blog and look like one too.

What is the real problem here?

The real problem is that the content management systems developed to allow for blogging are so well done that they are being applied to everything. That fact coupled with clients who are seeking to find a “trick” to top search engine placement leads to mass adoption of blogs and their accompanying software. What Art definitely gets right about this problem is that designers are getting lazy. A large majority are just taking a template developed for a blogging platform and modifying it to meet their needs. At this point all they have done is decorated a blog, not designed anything.

How to design a blog, not decorate one

First and foremost it takes a ton of time. This is not going to be a $1000 dollar blog design, unless you are charging $10 an hour. The design processes needs to start like any other website you would do with sketches, comps, and then finally fully custom web development. This is not a screen grab of a current template that you overlay graphics around.

When I approach designing a site that includes a blog for a client it actually entails designing a number of comps. Before any of that begins client discovery happens, research, planning, and concept sketches. Usually, the blog is only a portion of the site, so a homepage comp is developed, then followed by the blog page, and the article page itself. Next individual page designs for static content are designed, and any other extra functionality like author pages or custom archives. The most important thing about this process is that I am not compromising design to fit the blog system. I am using the system because it is able to fit my design. Any content management system can be powerful, but it becomes a crutch if it limits your creativity so don’t let it happen to you.

Art’s response from August 3rd

Thank you for your comments regarding my article on American Design Awards. We have been receiving mostly positive (and some negative feedback) from designers around the world via email, but this blog by far offers the most passionate responses to the article yet.

Having said that, I apologize if some of you may have taken offense to the article or misunderstood my point. It was not meant to offend anyone, nor did I mean to come across as arrogant. As a matter of fact I have learned a great deal by reading your responses, and for that I thank you guys for your feedback.

Functionality, design, and usability are by far the most important aspects of any website - and CSS as well as other web development tools are why the industry has progressed so impressively. However, our design awards judges (I don’t have an active role in the grading) have seen an alarming trend in cookie-cutter type blog and template sites blossoming everywhere. Blogger-type and Template Monster-type sites that have barely been customized and passed off as original “web design” work by graphic or web designers who seem to have put aside their HTML scripting skills, PhotoShops, DreamWeavers, and most importantly their imaginations on the shelf, for a quick and easy fix.

I personally don’t claim to be the authoritative figure on the latest tools and methods, but one doesn’t have to be one to realize that template-based design, blog-customization design, etc. does not bode well for the design industry.

The article has been removed from the site pending an editorial review – it may be reworked and posted again in the next few days. If you need to discuss this further or want your positive criticism or opinion included in this or any future articles, please feel free to email us at: suggestions [at] americandesignawards [dot] com

My thank you to Art

I also wanted to thank Art for voicing his opinion, not many people are willing to do so. My initial concerns were addressed and I now completely agree with what he is saying. I agree there is a problem developing, the reasons are many but something must be done about it. Maybe it is a lack of proper design education or the result of laziness, either way the difference between designing a website with a blog, and decorating a blog template should be clearly separated.

I encourage each of you to read Art’s new article as it has raised a great point. This is something that may be hard for some designers to accept, but ultimately beneficial to those who do.

09/02

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15 Responses to “Web Design and “Cookie Cutter Creations””

Jin
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm

I’m glad you made this followup post Zinni. I could tell from your original article, that you did agree with Art on core principles.
neil
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am

there is a lack of proper design. its my personal belief that people who use per built CMSs in web design are resellers and not coders
Zinni
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am

Neil,

I can’t agree with that. Pre-built CMS packages have done wonders for the web, they have allowed robust websites to be built for companies who otherwise would not be able to afford it. It all depends on the needs of the client. If a pre-built CMS exists that would fit their needs, why wouldn’t you use it? Why reinvent the wheel, can you offer the same support and bug testing that the pre-built CMS has? In most cases the answer is no, or the budget just isn’t there.

As long as the CMS is capable of fitting your needs, and you aren’t just skinning the default layout then there is almost no reason why you shouldn’t use it. Maybe using a pre-built CMS doesn’t make you a coder, but that isn’t what this article is about. It is about design…
Darren Hoyt
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm

The real problem is that the content management systems developed to allow for blogging are so well done that they are being applied to everything.

This is true. I’m discouraged more people don’t break the CMS chains more often. Tools like WordPress offer template tags that are so easy to use and rearrange, you could build 10 sites and display data in 10 different ways, and no one would guess it was powered by WP. Instead people tend to take the easy route and everything ends up looking similar and ‘default’.

its my personal belief that people who use per built CMSs in web design are resellers and not coders

I don’t see what the title of “coder” has to do with anything. A developer should be able to mold any system to his needs, and add customization when necessary. That is why the definition of developer has become so broad - you’re expected to be versatile.

Darren Hoyt’s latest post: All the Way Down
Art Javid
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm

Thank you Zinni for the follow-up! We are definitely on the same page, and I appreciate you taking the time to address this issue with your readers.
Kirk
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm

i agree this article
Zinni
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:54 pm

Art,

No problem, I thought that you raised a really good point and it deserved to be revisited.
Lauren
September 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Wow! Thank you Art for exploring the technologies and tools web designers/developers use and editing your op-ed. I truly appreciate it.
Elaine McVicar
September 5th, 2008 at 10:54 am

I think there is the scope to be wonderfully creative when designing a blog, and that it is an excellent tool to make the development easier for designers with less technical knowledge. However, I do agree that there are so many awful templates that have just been spat out with barely any design.

Anyway - I’ve really enjoyed reading this, as well as Art Javid’s revised article. Given me things to think about.
J. Jeffryes
September 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am

The Cookie Cutter article might be toned down from the original, but it still seems to overstate it’s case. I suspect some of the complaints are misplaced. Creativity is great, but creativity for the sake of being creative is bad design.

Design is all about limitations and expectations. The web has evolved so that certain visual conventions are defacto standards. Navigation is a bar along the top of the page, usually with drop downs. The logo should be at the top left, and should be a link to the home page. There should be a contact page and an about us page.

These are not shackles. These are standards. Users don’t want to have to relearn how to navigate a web page every time they open their browser. The creativity comes from creative ways of using and expanding the conventions users have come to expect, not from throwing them away. As long as designers like Art Javid fail to understand that, they will fail to understand web design.

J. Jeffryes’s latest post: Woork by Antonio Lupetti
Ron
September 7th, 2008 at 12:21 am

Who said anything about shackles??? J.J., we suspect YOU fail to understand that creativity and standards are two different things. Yeah we all know where navigation bars usually go (thanks for that by the way) and logos appear on top of the page (I almost forgot about that one).

No one even came close to suggesting designers should re-invent the wheel by getting creative by throwing standards out the door, rather to break out of cookie-cutter BLOG SOFTWARE and create something unique from scratch - you know, being designers and all. I have followed this and other blogs for the past two months and the only people who fail to understand the point, are those who aren’t true designers.
J. Jeffryes
September 8th, 2008 at 1:06 pm

The job of a designer is to solve a problem, not create art. If the problem is solved by customizing existing blog software, then that is good design. If the designer adds changes that do not improve the function or purpose of the site, or have a positive impact on the site’s marketing, branding or user experience, then that is bad design. It’s self-indulgent creativity for creativity’s sake.
Scott
September 8th, 2008 at 11:52 pm

It is about money everyone. Money.

My company has a custom CMS and it certainly does lend itself to ‘cookie cutter’ designs.

And to be honest we can pump them out pretty quickly as we have honed the process over the last few years.

A lot of the not-for-profits and small (SMALL) businesses cannot (or will not) afford a custom site.
Our customizable template system allows them have a real presence that does have functionality, usability, ‘web standard’ code and SEO.

Are they super sexy and full or bleeding edge functionality? No.

But the can afford them and we can make a good living.

And I definitely agree with J Jeffryes…it is not about art, it is about attracting customers, doing business and making money (the clients that is).

How many times have I heard this in my office…I really think we could make this LOOK really shiny.

Ugh. Shiny doesn’t sell. Great content and usability does.
Jin
September 9th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Scott, since when did form, function, and profitability become mutually exclusive?

Jin’s latest post: Presidential Design p2
selma
September 17th, 2008 at 2:04 am

very good.. thanks..