A recent article in the Rochest Democrat and Chronicle interviewed Luke Wroblewski, a former YAHOO designer and now founder of LukeW Interface Designs, a consulting firm.  Wroblewski had some interesting things to say about the role “design” takes in an increasingly focused functionality-centered Internet.  “It’s a combination. I’m not going to say technology isn’t a key driver of using Web sites. But there are more things than that. There’s the actual consumer experience. People go to things that resonate with them emotionally.” - Wroblewski

We totally agree with Wroblewski and have for years.  A website can set the stage for the entire website visit….positively or negatively.  If the user doesn’t get the “warm and fuzzy” then your technology better be through the roof.  The design helps sell what you are selling.  The design helps you lay the foundation.  The functionality ties it all in and gives it substance and the visitor a reason to return. 

“The whole 2.0 thing has this marketing buzzword context with it. But there are fundamental transitions in the technology that influence how you do design. In the initial stages of the Web, it was about moving from place to place. Now we’re seeing a lot of different ways of interacting with the world - manipulation, you can create access, you can upload videos, you can put your feedback within pages, you’re no longer just a passive consumer jumping from place to place. There’s this new capability you need to figure out how to take advantage of.”

We couldn’t agree more.