Return on Design: Smarter Web Design That Works (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you don¿t understand the information design principles that guide content display on the Web, all the bells and whistles on the planet can¿t guarantee a return on your Web investment. What can is Return on Design: Smarter Web Design That Works. In these pages, the focus is on the information design essentials that can determine a Web site¿s success or failure. In seven chapters author Ani Phyo outlines her seven-step process for designing successful Web sites, from "Understanding Requirements" to "Ongoing Testing and Revision." Along the way, this designer/instructor covers a range of topics, including assembling the right team, settling on (and then collecting) visual content, usability testing, and more-using lots of personal insights, examples, and anecdotes to make her points resonate. Through it all, the book never loses its focus on returns: the critical cost-cutting techniques and choices that will enable you to deliver more impact for less outlay in today¿s cost-conscious economy.

From the Back Cover

If you don't understand the information design principles that guide content display on the Web, all the bells and whistles on the planet can't guarantee a return on your Web investment. What can is Return on Design: Smarter Web Design for Hard Times. In these pages, the focus is on the information design essentials that can determine a Web site's success or failure. In seven chapters author Ani Phyo outlines her seven-step process for designing successful Web sites, from "Understanding Requirements" to "Ongoing Testing and Revision." Along the way, this designer/instructor covers a range of topics, including assembling the right team, settling on (and then collecting) visual content, usability testing, and more-using lots of personal insights, examples, and anecdotes to make her points resonate. Through it all, the book never loses its focus on returns: the critical cost-cutting techniques and choices that will enable you to deliver more impact for less outlay in today's cost-conscious economy.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press (May 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201756072
• ISBN-13: 978-0201756074
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #915,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book on design process, not web design, October 23, 2003

By	S. Horton (Boston USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm working on a re=design of a non-profit site and had expected this book (based on the title) to give me some real-world design advice. Instead, the book focuses on the design PROCESS itself. Things like knowing who your users / customers are and what they need from your site, getting buy-in from the site owners, prototyping, testing, etc. And even then the amount of real "take-away" information is scant (in my opinion). I had used another book (The Design of Sites - highly recommend) and must have bookmarked (the old fashioned way) 100 or more pages. On Ms. Phyo's book I found only 6 pages to be valuable (to me). If you're in the market to set up a web design team or business, this is a good book. If you're looking for decent web design help, look elsewhere. My 2-cents.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just-in-Time Design for Web Applications, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

If you ever wanted a 7-step recipe for designing applications for Web delivery, this is the book for you. I appreciate the time and money I am saving on my current Web project by following a tested process that really works.
Regardless if you are responsible for site management, defining system requirements, Web content development, visual design, back-end programming, or usability testing of Web-delivered applications, following this process is both cost effective and fun. Return on Design is a gourmet meal consisting of step-by-step procedures, supportive examples, visuals, resources, and a consistent information design approach, which all serve to differentiate this Web design book from the others.
The bottom line is: do you want your site to be revenue generating? Your chances for success are better if you follow a user-centered design "recipe" for success.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Returning to the roots of good design, May 30, 2003

By	Nick A. Finck (Beaverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews

I have to admit I had some skepticism about this book when I read the title. Don't let that stop you from picking up a copy. Ani Payo's engaging content is far from the kind you would hear at a typical marketing seminar. The book starts out defining a new process for creating sites, a workflow if you will. From there you hit the ground running. Topics that are covered range from defining the difference between print collateral content and web content, to the difference between designing for a product and designing for those that use the product. Every page of this book is packed with information that can help you create a successful site that not only meets the business objectives, but surpasses them by explaining how to get the most out of the site once it's up and before the next redesign or enhancement is added. It clearly explains every aspect of the task involved with creating a site from information design to usability engineering. If you could put the top 20 most successful sites along side of each other and take the one most effective characteristic of each site and put it within the confines of a book chapter you would have Ani Phyo's Return on Design. This book defines what it takes to create a good and successful web site. I would recommend this book to any web professional from armatures to seasoned experts.