THE WORD ON….

Question: What does “The Wizard of Oz” and a good web design have in common?

Answer: Everything.

By: Robert Garcia


I know. I know. I know. Another article using “The Wizard of Oz” in a neat little comparative/ contrast motif. And believe me when I say, I do not watch the movie on a given day every month like some poor souls I know who have maybe put on the ruby slippers one too many times. But those who know me will attest to the fact that I get these really weird inspirations sometimes, and as I was trying to decide on how to explain what a good web design should do, I get this idea in my head, and I hear the words “Oz the Great and Terrible has spoken!”

That’s the last time I put on those damn slippers.

A website that is supposed to promote an item or service has to do exactly the same work as any marketing or advertising piece that exists. It’s a tough job, and certainly not an easy thing to accomplish.

Attract
Inform
Qualify
Create Demand

Four things. Easy beans? Ok, Mr. Mojo, I know what you’re going to say. Your about to quote P.T. Barnum and say something like “Make the pictures pretty, the words nice, and the headlines massive, and the public will buy it” (or not, maybe your thinking about taking out a classified ad.) But as any marketer or advertiser will tell you, you gotta do it right. And Oz the Great and Terrible did it wrong.

Blasphemy! you say. Not true. I love that movie just a much as the next guy does. But look how Oz was trying to sell himself. GREAT and TERRIBLE. You remember the scene where we first see him?

Fire and explosions and a big ol’ melon head staring at you from a high throne. “Jeez mister! Calm down and have some herbal tea or something. I came to ask for some help on trying to get back to South Beach (I ain’t going to Kansas) and instead of being Oz, your Ozzy Osbourne.”

The movie had to keep the story going, so Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion all begged for his help. Easy to impress huh? Me, and most of the buying public wouldn’t go near the guy, he looks kind’a cookie. However, if we knew about the sweet, intelligent man behind the curtain, maybe we’d stop and listen for a second.

A good website isn’t about how big and beautiful a designer can make it; the design is not the star of the show. The product or service you’re representing should be the star of the show. Too many designers are apt to create animated, interactive monstrosities of sites that jingle and jangle, play music, use fancy schmancy flash effects to no end. Granted, these sites are technological and design beauties. Personally, I love going to them, seeing the different effects, playing with the interactivity. But at the end of your visit to a site, you have to be informed about the product, not how cool the site was.

Case in point; a lot of the European car makers love fully functional flash websites that have interactivity up the wazoo. Great, fantastic, I love the site. But I couldn’t tell you the name of the car their representing on a bet. Interesting huh? I can’t imagine any company not wanting a fantastic flash created, beautiful Photoshop mortised site with all the bells and whistles. In a positive light, that says something about the company and their dedication to presentation. However, they forget one thing, and I said it before. The star of the show is not the website, but the product or service.

Design is the pedestal on which you place your product. Design brings you in to inform you, not take over. As designers, we at nfm_design are not trying to be famous. We’re trying to make our customers famous. The website is supposed to make the web surfer a customer, not an art aficionado. That’s not to say that the website cannot be art, it can, and often is. But it should be art that creates a sense of desire for the product. The web surfer should say “I want it,” instead of “Cool site.” Better still, the web surfer should say, “Wow, what a cool site, it explains the product perfectly, I want it.” Just remember, the little dog is not included.

be there
Robert Garcia
Creative Director

nfm_design