How Web Development Impacts Style And Design
Turning concepts into reality
We can have the most fantastic ideas in our heads; we might even have drawn them out onto paper or created inspiring mood boards and stuck them up on our walls; however, turning ideas into reality is the challenge. Years ago, I remember speaking to a very successful entrepreneur. I wanted to start my own business and be free of the nine-to-five and other people’s schedules. I was coming up with all kinds of unique schemes and wonderful ideas. I thought I would run them past him.
I was quite taken aback by his response. Yes, he said, there are some interesting concepts here, but creating a great business is not just about ideas. He went on to tell me that anyone can have a great idea; some lucky people can have hundreds of great ideas. However, what mattered, he told me, was delivery. How I was going to make the ideas work, what the limiting factors were, and how the idea would be turned into a profitable business, brought to market, and communicated.
My enthusiastic self felt somewhat knocked back. After all, wasn’t it a great invention and an adventurous spirit that had driven the success of the world’s most significant achievements? However, when you think about it, it is often the more mundane things that make a difference and bring fame and fortune. Take the Goldrush, for example. It was not the prospectors who made their fortunes looking for gold but the canny people in business selling picks and shovels. Or the ingenuity of Jacob William Davis and his partnership with Levi Strauss, who strengthened work trousers seams with metal rivets and created the jeans that are still the market leaders today.
Know your limitations and make the most of them
You might wonder what this has to do with web development, but the principle is the same. Web development and its limitations are what can turn those mood board ideas into reality, rather than them being left floating around in the ether as mere ideas. In the early days of the World Wide Web, plenty of people had ideas. In fact, almost anyone could have an idea and attract capital. Seemingly overnight, people became dot-com millionaires. Sadly, for them, their fortunes were all on paper. When e-commerce dreams hit the buffers of reality, the dot-com bubble burst, and those fortunes evaporated into thin air.
At that time, web development was relatively advanced. However, connectivity and user technology meant that it was not possible to transmit the websites to people’s homes. Even when they could be accessed, the lack of secure payment options or fulfillment centers meant that the world was not ready for the dreams.
Making the possible, possible
As we know today, technology has subsequently evolved, and web design has been adapted to ensure success. While many of the early business models floundered, those that were embedded in the possible persisted. A great example of this is the online casino and gambling industry, which would not exist without those early breakthroughs. While great web development can enhance any business’s performance, Leo Vegas’s mobile slot business was inspired by watching the technology develop. One could say it was the perfect marriage of web development with style and design.
Style and design inspired by the technology
The development of the iPhone inspired the design and style of their mobile slots business. Gustaf Hagman watched the spinning screen of an iPhone 3GS at a Stockholm barbecue and was reminded of the tumbling reels of slot machines. When you look at slots online, it is now easy to see where the inspiration came from. Every online operator now has a mobile platform or app using the same developer ideas, but at the time, it was revolutionary.
Web development impacts style and design because it is what delivers the ideas. While most things are possible in terms of web development these days, with technological and network improvements making delivery relatively straightforward, it is often the budget that is the limiting factor. WordPress and Shopify enable most of us to create a relatively sophisticated website without needing to rely on highly specialized knowledge. There are numerous online tutorials and courses available to help us enhance our skills.
Getting started
Something as straightforward as WP Starter means we can have our website up and running in a relatively short time. Then, finding the right plug-ins and themes will establish the website’s functionality and design. There are thousands of stylistic choices that will influence how people react to your website, so these are key decisions you need to make when working on the development. It is a slightly Catch-22 situation because the web development process affects the design and style, but knowing what design and style you require impacts how you approach the web development.
As I said earlier, the big influencer in all of this is budget. If you have endless, deep pockets like the big established organizations, the world is, metaphorically speaking, your oyster. The bigger the budget, in theory, the more bells and whistles you can afford. The slicker the animations, the more impressive the graphics. A substantial budget could enable you to create a visually stunning website. However, beauty without functionality and security is only surface-deep.
Balance and flow
Excellent web development is about balance. As that mentor told me all those years back, a good idea alone is not enough. The website needs to deliver and function. It needs to offer what the customer is looking for, and that is not just in terms of product. Any web development concept must ensure that the backend meets the expectations set by the public-facing side of things. Security and protocols are crucial, as is the usability of the database. All the files need to relate to and cross-check against each other. Web development is about a whole, seamless package – whatever field or endeavor you are launching into.
