Having been a graphic designer for 11 years, I’ve learned almost all I need to know about design for print, as well as various printing processes and techniques, paper stocks, color systems and software applications. My experience with web and User Experience (UX) design is much less extensive. When I first joined Kristian Andersen + Associates in October last year, I realized there would be a steep learning curve. Harder still would be setting aside the majority of my print knowledge and starting afresh, learning what can and can’t be done with the myriad of programming languages, development platforms and content management systems, which seem to be constantly updating and evolving.

At their basic level, both print and web design are concerned with the clarity and readability of information, communicating a message in the most effective way possible. However, that’s where the similarities end. For instance, the way the information is displayed and consumed by the reader is very different, summarized concisely by Jakob Nielsen:

  • Print design is based on letting the eyes walk over the information, selectively looking at information objects and using spatial juxtaposition to make page elements enhance and explain each other.
  • Web design functions by letting the hands move the information (by scrolling or clicking); information relationships are expressed temporally as part of an interaction and user movement.

Obviously both print and web design have their strengths and weaknesses. In print you have the luxury of being able to select format/canvas size, as well as paper stock and utilize special printing techniques to create a rich visual experience. You can be creative with layout using photography, typography, color and spatial awareness to lead the reader on the right path through the information on the page. You also have complete control over the final physical product. Everything will look how it was set out during the design process. Print is more intimate. Not only can you see it, but you can touch it and even smell it. It stays with you.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you have web design’s fixed-width (depending on screen resolution), scrolling page. Graphically, there are limitations due to resolution and file size/loading times. There are a limited number of fonts with which to set your text, and you have much less control over how that text will look across different monitors and operating systems. A more uniform approach to layout must also be adopted. With a single click the design can be gone from the screen in an instant.

Where web design comes into its own (and this has by far been the biggest challenge for me) is with its interactivity and user engagement. The typical extent of a reader’s interactivity with a printed piece is the turn of a page, unlike a web site where scrolling and clicking on multiple links lead the user on a non-linear path through the information. Interactive Flash presentations, audio and video can be used in place of text effectively summarize an otherwise lengthy read.

Of course, while the visual aspect of web design interactivity is very important, it is the ease of navigation through, and structure of information that creates a more fulfilling experience for the user. It’s all very well having a clear style defined for a link rollover, but if it isn’t clear where that link leads, or if the requested information isn’t clearly defined on the target page, then it is all for nothing. User experience design goes much, much deeper than that though, and is a science (or an art) in itself. I still have a lot of learning to do in that respect.

I’ll never unlearn the knowledge of print design I’ve gained in the last 11 years. My ultimate goal is to gain an equal amount of knowledge in web and User Experience design. While print design is my number one passion (alongside corporate identity and typeface design), I’m slowly warming to the possibilities of design off the printed page. Whether I’ll be as versed in it as with print, only time will tell.