Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications

Afterword

September 23, 2002 Menlo Park, California

The writing of Making the Web Work took me from July 2001 to August 2002. A lot happened during the intervening months—to me, to my family, to the world. In the face of such times, it was sometimes hard to believe that the design of something as transitory as a Web page really mattered.

I eventually concluded, however, that it does matter. It matters in the same way that all forms of design matter. It matters because design is about making something for somebody else—about creating objects, interactions, and experiences that others will find rational, enjoyable, and beautiful. It matters because being a designer requires you to consider the needs and perspective of all those other people who ...