Web Design-Will it Matter?

Question: With all the new tools such as RSS readers, Mobile Rivers and the like, I can’t help but wonder if the value of web design is on the decline. I recently switched to Google Reader and already my site visits have gone down.

With the busy-ness of a work day, the demands of email and frequency of meetings, I find my ability to access the information quickly an efficiently as the most important thing. I’m spending less time on sites and more time on RSS readers. While I still value the beauty and function that a cool and well-designed site can offer, I still just want to “get ‘er done.”

As Steve Rubel points out we’re seeing a second round of portals in the form of personalized start pages. These pages allow customization by bringing content from any site (that has an RSS feed), multiple email clients (such as Yahoo and Google), and a myriad of other content all on one personally designed page. Startups such as Pageflakes and Netvibes in addition to some of the big dogs such as Microsoft and Google are attempting to get a piece of the action.

Even established media properties such as ESPN and The Wall St. Journal are getting into the act of building personalized start pages for fear of losing their grip on users.

SO WHAT? I’m not sure where all this is heading but I will say I like it. Although I personally spend too much time figuring how I want my site to look, I can’t help but feel that design is becoming less important.

Rather, I like the benefits that I receive from filtering out the noise, getting the information I need and spending the rest of my time doing the things that need to get done so I can get on with my life. Just the beginning? Probably. A good start? Definitely.

Tags: RSS, Mobile Rivers, Web Design, Pageflakes, Netvibes, Google, Microsoft, ESPN, Wall St. Journal

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