I am a student attending the College of Southern Idaho. I am pursuing degrees in Digital Media and Electrical Engineering. A little odd I know. Most electrical engineers would not classify themselves as artsy but I do have an ability and love for digital art.
With my digital media degree I am exposed to, and have become accustomed to thinking outside of my comfortable surroundings. I am experiencing many new and often, at times, difficult choices with design. On that note web design to me is a mixture of coding and designing, laying out a page on screen and then making it shine and work as I expect it to.
Out on the web there are designers and then there are coders. I do know what looks good to me may not look so swell to another person and vis-a-vis with what others think looks good as a website. I'm not knocking someone else's design. So come on! You have to be able to read what is on your screen. Isn't that why we make web pages? Web design is one of the most important aspects in usability, aesthetic display, and functionality of your information and why someone else is drawn to your website.
You can have a beautiful website designed for you, but if it has very poor thought in how people expect it to work. It's purpose is going to be fluff with no substance. People will not give it a second chance and move on to a website that is easier to navigate. Roll over menus are a great big nuisance. They work great one level deep, but if you you have to drill down through several levels what is the point of it? Simplify access to your information that you are trying to share. Remember, you are trying to get your information seen, heard, or felt, depending on your audience. Make it easy for them to access it.
