February 25th, 2010
lthough I am primarily a graphic designer, the moment my clients started asking for websites I learned how to build them.
I’ve also learned that web designers and copywriters are very much alike. I like to think we’re a bit like the English and the Germans – while we like to think we are different, the fact is we’re very closely related.
Captain Caveman
Think about it. Copywriters focus on content, making it engaging and ironing out grammatical glitches. It’s essential work if you want good articles, web pages, stories, product descriptions and so on. But good copy has the same lineage as good design – back in the Stone Age, cave paintings were both a form of communication and artistic design. Likewise, the Egyptians – arguably the greatest civilisation to date – married writing and design in their superb hieroglyphics.
These days, copywriters are often asked to supply content for well-designed sites. But do their own sites always bring together good writing and design?
Sometimes.
Copywriters’ websites
The other day, I advised a copywriter to look at this site, as I believe Ben has a good balance between content and design. You immediately know what the site is about, even if it could do with a few more images dotted about it. On the same note, my own site could certainly do with more written content.
It’s important to get that balance, though. If you think back to school and university, you’ll remember your teachers and lecturers using teaching methods that appealed to different learning styles – visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
It’s a good idea to implement these ideas into your website. It’s quite simple – use buttons, forms and other clickable elements for kinesthetic users; for the auditory users, words will play out a rhythm in their minds; and visual users will lap up imagery and clear design that not only tells them what your site is for, but also lifts their mood.
Colour my mood
Colours are particularly important. There are lots of studies about colours and the moods they inspire – for example, blue is safe and corporate, while red means danger and excitement.
I cannot tell you how to write good copy, but I do know what excites the eyes and mind. And that’s why, to create the perfect website, you need to bring together three types of people – copywriters, web designers (for the look and feel of the site) and web developers (for the coding).
I confess to not being the best at writing articles – I’m a designer, not a copywriter. But I do feel passionate about design – and without good copy it is pointless. Similarly, you can have the best copy in the world – but without the visual appeal of images and pictures, it’ll just be a document.
This guest post was brought to you by Chris ‘Kip’ Carrier, Kip FX Design.
(Guest post) Why good online copy needs good web design
5:48 pm. Filed under: Blog, copywriting.
Author: Chris Kip Carrier.
« Is ‘copywriter’ the best way to describe a livelihood? | When journalists’ illiteracy leaves them looking (at) a right tit »
Tags: copywriting, design, web
2 Responses to “(Guest post) Why good online copy needs good web design”
And here was me saying I am no good at copy, that is perfect! (Thanks for the edit Ben
)
I’ll tell you one thing that amazes me about copywriters’ sites (and about their business names, too) is how many of them seem to feature a write/right pun in the title.
Weak.