As Nielsen (1999) proclaimed, ‘anything that is a great print design is likely to be a lousy web design.’ I have made a summary of some key points to note when designing for each genre as highlighted by Nielsen (1999, 2008):
PRINT | ONLINE |
Superior type and image quality. High resolution graphics possible. | Low resolution graphics and limited type availability due electronic format limitations and browser compatibility. |
Users ‘read’ the publication. | Users ‘scan’ the publication. |
Navigation - Simple user interface - i.e. page-turning in cases where article unusually exceed allotted canvas area –a full page or double-spread allows full capture of article. | Navigation - Scrolling required sometimes right from the start. Hypertext navigation to lead to links for further reading, subject to information architecture. |
A canvas experience - Full-page newspaper or large magazine layout possible | An electronic document experience - Limited to the size of the computer screen |
2-dimensional | 1-dimensional & N-dimensional |
Longer text, full sentences and details are possible with linear content, allowing storytelling. | Shorter text, fragmented sentences owing to reader eye-fatigue and typical impatience of web-users. A solution-hunting, actionable content model. |
Immediate access to article. | Access is slowed down by download speeds and internet connectivity. But all these can be improved with technology advances. |
Static elements. Lacks user interactivity. | Non-static. Its multimedia elements and overlays enhance user engagement and interactivity. |
Creative headlines and titles are used frequently as teasers to draw audience in to read further. | Reliant on plain keywords and highlighted text to enhance Search Engine Optimization (SEO) utility. |
The differences in designing for print and designing for online meant different design approaches should be taken to utilize the strengths of each medium and minimize its weaknesses. Agree wholeheartedly with Nielsen (1999) that the differences should be respected and relished!
Related reading:
References
Nielsen, J 1999, Differences between print design and web design, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, 24 January 1999, viewed 15 October 2010, <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html>
Nielsen, J 2008, Writing style for print vs. web, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, 9 June 2008, viewed 15 October 2010, <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/print-vs-online-content.html>
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