7 Deadly sins of landing page Design (Via Google)

I posted about this on twitter a few weeks after the webinar finished but got a chance last night to watch this video again as the audio wasn't too great on the phone. I love the examples used (some sites are very bad-aka 'sandal world') and just reiterates to me time and time again, how many 'designers' need to just go away and put their creative output somewhere else.

Sure we need people who can design on the web, but the web requires a multitude of skills and if your just focussed on design? Well you try and tell a designer its not about their creative vision but what the end user wants. Everyone and their dog seems to think they can be a web designer these days, and want to focus on nothing but the design. Why? It's the fun and glamorous part to many. All the rest ain't glamorous and is just bloody hard work; Architecture, management, maintenance, and marketing to name but a few web skills required.

I've met many web designers including large agencies who win so called 'awards' (aka industry back patting doorstops) whose sites are truly as much use a wet kleeenex. Yet I meet very few who ever want to start do the real dirty work, be passionate about it, and cover all the areas that truly make a good site...good.

The video below is a great advocate for simplicity and clarity and is long, (in these time poor times at46 mins presentation plus Q&A) but this is delivered in a style and with language anybody can follow. It's excellent material for noobs who want to get involved in the web, or even as a nice refresher for web veterans like myself. (Nearing 20 web years-gulp!)