In my designs, I believe simple is the best way to insure the intended message reaches the audience. Though the saying ?actions speak louder than words? might justify elaborate design, I feel a focus on the intended message achieves better results. I believe a simple and clean design is appealing to more people, and makes sure the message gets out loud and clear.
The main catalyst that drives my design is accessibility. Even though a product is marketed to a specific demographic to achieve sales, the design should be accessible to everyone?. To pick up sales outside demographic lines. I believe no matter what the message, nobody should be excluded.
There are thousands of sites on the internet that look good, but a majority of them are just eye candy. Their message is constrained, and only reaches the select few that have the ability to look for it. An accessible design reaches everyone, regardless of abilities. Don?t get me wrong, I?m not trying to say accessibility diminishes the visual qualities of a site. But what I am saying is that there is a happy medium between visual quality and accessibility, and every design in my portfolio is a step in my quest of design karma.
I also believe cleanliness in design insures the intended message reaches everyone. Moving images and loud backgrounds that have nothing to do with the intended message only distract the viewer. If it does not highlight or enhance the message being put forth, I feel they should not be in the design. Clean designs are forged around the message, not the message being retrofitted into the design.
My designs encompass cleanliness and accessibility. I use both to forge a design that broadcasts the intended message to everyone, resulting in a product that speaks louder than words. And with a product that achieves the intended results and then some, you can see clearly my theory in action.