Nami-thesis outline
Introduction : Circular structure of web design market (A starting point + Main research question + sub questions)
My enjoyment of making hand-crafted web pages has been navigating my career to web design practice. But then I, as someone who wants to work in the commercial industry for a realistic reason, admit that most of my future tasks will be framed by commercial agenda, not being able to play with quirky elements and styles I like.
By observing current mainstream websites, I've come to a realisation that my love about the playful websites will be likely to conflict with the market demand.
It's quite agreeable that most major web pages have certain types of features in common. For example, the shapes of most icons and the locations of the menu bars seem quite similar each other, as well as the user navigation system.
I am not saying that these implicit rules are all absurd, so there needs a total subversion/revolution on the web design context. But still, this repetition of the sameness is worthwhile to be questioned, even for figuring out in which stance I will stand as a web designer in the industry.
In order to do so, I'd like to explore the circular structure of the web design market, missions many designers confront, and how I will be navigating my stance in the reality. This goal will be explored through sub-questions mentioned below:
The thesis will be a documentation of my exploration for the research questions .
1. Uniformity (Conformity): Does it exist? A few cases and reviews
- Desk research about Template market + CMS + Material Design(Webdesign guideline by Google)
- Field research, asking designers and developers questions below:
--> If there are any conventional disciplines that they stick to when making a webpage, what they are?
--> Why are these rules/conditions important when working?
--> How do you experience/perceive the web design industry that you're involved in now?
--> About this, I'll run an online workshop 'Fixed structure & Free content'. I would like to see how standardised layouts in html could conflict with participants'contents, using a few Bootstrap templates.
2. Potential causes of the uniformity
- The histories of them & In which circumstances are they often used?
- Given amount of working time & wage
- Task division
- prevailed design motto: reponsive/mobile-first and flat design
- Standardised types of tools
3. Will re/de-forming the uniformity be necessarily conflicting with the demand of the commercial industry? My stance as a web designer?
- “Unlearn/Detox your disciplines in design/coding” (How would u design and build a website as you want, being out of the current disciplines?)
- "Experiments to make our own frameworks for basic html graphic elements such as icons and profile pictures!" (made by non-professional!) Can we make it? What is the meaning of it?
--> How do you feel about most (commercial) web pages today?
--> Through which practical steps have they made their web projects? (design identity, front-end development)?
--> What are basic/conventional rules that you stick to while making the works? And why? --> If you experience commercial (commissioned) projects. Ask them how they managed to balance their own sense and the market demand?
Conclusion
Recap the research (Circular structure of the web design industry)