Consistency & Contrast: A Content Analysis of Web Design Instruction

摘要

Purpose: To investigate whether Web design rules historically are prescribed or whether designers are encouraged to think critically about how Web design choices relate to the complex situation of human-computer interaction. Specifically, this study explores how Web design rules have evolved since the mid-1990s and the influencing factors, if Web design instruction has dictated rules or encouraged designers to think critically about the design decisions being made, and, finally, if Web design principles are based on cognitive learning or visual communication theories, situated in best practices, or simply replicated. Method: Content analysis of a sampling of 40 textbooks and general-interest publications on Web design from 1995 to 2014. Results: Overall, Web design texts encourage designers to think critically about audiences. Changing technology clearly played a key role in the evolution of instruction. Finally, Web design instruction included some level of reference to cognitive learning theory or visual communication theory. While the appearance of theory-based word units in Web design texts coupled with discussion about technological capabilities and audience suggests Web design instruction does a solid job of situating design practices in theory, technology, and the complex situations in which the Web user operates, the depth of discussion varies greatly from text to text. Conclusion: The various treatments of theory in texts calls for further study to better understand which approach is more effective in communicating the theories as a whole as well as their application in Web design.