Designing Web Sites That Sell (Designwhys): Amazon.co.uk: Shayne Bowman, Chris Willis: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

A highly visual guide, Designing Web Sites that Sellis aimed at professional Web designers and explains how to put together sites that are effective as well as good-looking. The authors write from the designer’s point of view, but the material covers much more than just design. The opening chapter is an overview of the entire process, from initial strategy to final testing, emphasising that building a web site is the work of a team including programmers, marketing executives, lawyers and financial specialists.

After looking at the basic principles of designing for commerce, the authors come to the heart of the book, with three key chapters each of which covers a different aspect of web building. The first topic is information, looking at how the data that gives meaning to a site is stored and structured. The next is interaction, which tackles navigation and the user’s experience. The third is presentation, covering such things as use of colours and images, page layout and button design. Two final chapters discuss testing and launching a site, and give real-world examples of strong commerce design.

The visual aspect of the book includes abundant charts and diagrams as well as design examples, printed in full colour throughout. It is also packed with cross references to other books and articles, indicating that a lot of patient research lies behind what is presented. The authors express some bold opinions, but always give good reasons for their views. Overall this is among the best design guides around, conveying the importance of detail but without ever losing sight of the big picture.--Tim Anderson

Product Description

When you take on an e-commerce site, you're tackling the most complex Web design challenge of all, one that involves finding the right mix of aesthetics, brand identity, and interactivity--which you then have to fit into a technical tangle of database, customer service, and fulfillment systems. Designing Web Sites That Sell recognizes that good design is more than just a pretty face; it persuades visitors to act--to look, buy, and come back for more. Written by designers for designers, it's a results-oriented guide to building a profitable e-commerce site without sacrificing design and style.

Recent headlines aside, people haven't stopped buying from online stores--just from poorly conceived ones. Designing Web Sites That Sell takes you on a real-world tour of what goes into building and managing a successful e-commerce site, using case studies of thriving examples to illustrate the principles in the book. Author's Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis stop to go behind the scenes each step of the way, sharing a wealth of information you won't find anywhere else:

Savvy tips on working with clients to establish a visual style that fits their brand
The five critical principles of good commerce design
How to build a site that's easy to update
Site testing and revising guidelines
How to create content that works for cell phones, PDAs, and other wireless devices

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Amazon.com: 12 reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Even for the most senior in the field ... 16 Oct 2002

By R. Biggs - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

As I went through this book, the word that kept creeping to mind was: Wow! This book is incredibly rich. One thing I know working in the information architecture/experience design field for so long is that it's all about "connecting the dots" - but first you have to know what the dots are. This book, while written from a designer perspective, brings all the relevant dots to the surface and connects them for you. It does a fantastic job of setting the cognitive contexts for concepts and defining terms in a clear way. Another thing that struck me about this book is its own information design: this book practices what it preaches from a communication perspective.

The reason most companies hire me into a Creative Department is to bring the type of consciousness to a project that this book embodies. This book educates, not just designers, but everyone on the team. It's very nearly a complete compilation of best practices to date, worthy of a classroom textbook.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Visually Tasteful, Engaging Information... 19 Mar 2006

By Danita Reynolds - Published on Amazon.com

I LOVE this book. Being a Visual Communication Designer I look for how-to books that are user friendly and this book certainly is that.

This colorful book is laid out with easy to follow step-by-step information with wonderful visual guides. For me this book made eCommerce a joy to learn. Finding the right mix of aesthetics, brand identity, and interactivity are just some of the processes found in this book that lead to creating a successful commercial web site.

This book is mainly geared for graphic designers ( as Authors Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis book title says "DesignWhys - designing web sites that sell - for graphic designers") but I think that anyone interested in eCommerce can also benefit from this book too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

The one web design book you need 28 May 2003

By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com

This comprehensive guide covers all the basics, from building a customer profile that drives all design decisions to evaluating the usability of a site on real customers. Others have mentioned the real-world examples -- they're worth the price of the book alone. But what sets this guide apart from every other UI design book out there is the discussion of the design (and launch) process, the different roles that are essential to maintaining a site, and the technologies that a web designer needs to know about (technologies that impact design).

A valuable guide for newbie designers and experienced pros alike. An excellent reference book that I'll turn to again and again.

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