The storybook ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ clearly illustrates the concept of fluidity of content and design. The protagonist of the story Max wears his wolf suit and makes mischief’s like pestering the dog or hammering nails into the wall. However the author Maurice Sendak doesn’t portray all the action textually. Instead, designs are used and the readers are expected to build a narrative connection between the content and the design. This concept is referred as the fluidity of content and design. This concept can easily be employed in websites. The website designers can use interdependence of text and pictures to render the website a better look and user appeal. Fluidity of content and design adds a feeling of belongingness to the website. Unlike the storybooks, the websites have no limitation of page to page display and hence relevant pictures to the text can be employed. Learning from ‘Where The Wild Things are,’ there are four strategies for improving the fluidity of content and design in websites which can be employed by web designers.

1. Use design as a tool for self promotion

It is extremely important that whatever claim you put forward in your text has a backing. Most of the time websites use promotional languages online in order to enhance the traffic. But such tone of language rather discourages the user for accessing the site because users easily filter the fact from fiction. Instead, moving on the lines of fluidity of content and design, designs can be used for the purpose of self promotion. The graphics can easily back up the text on the website. The designs enhance the level of credibility and speak up for their own. The users can first visually go through the pictures creating a better first impression. Thereafter, clicking on the selected image can take them to textual section. Reading the text after viewing the pictures render it more effective and appealing to the users.
However for an effective graphics- text connection it is extremely important that the pictures are neat and impressive. The pictures must be clean and presented professionally in order to impress the users. This tactic confirms the truth to the user before he actually starts doubting it. It also reduces the user’s search time.

2. Tightening up of the text

It is essential that the text on the website is easy to understand and exact. It must be tightened up so that it correlates to the graphics easily. Segmentation, clear labeling and prioritization can be used to achieve the same.

  1. Segmentation – It is the art of sectioning the content according to the users or the tasks. It simply involves dividing the links as per the service requirements of the user. A tightened clear description saves on the search time and impresses the users.
  2. Clear Labeling – Labeling must be user-oriented and to the point. A clear label directly portrays the quality of your service. Combination of text and graphics can be used to showcase the special features of your service.
  3. Prioritization – It is the art of understanding what your website is meant for and what are the requirements of your target audience. Once an understanding of these facts is obtained, the website must be structured around these facts and any straying factor must be removed. It is extremely important to decide carefully what content must be textually portrayed and what content must be represented through designs. Self promotion and boosting must always been conveyed through designs.

3. Narrative voice as the key for engaging the users

Narrative voice works effectively in generating engaged user experiences. A rich narrative tone can enhance the levels of interest of the users. Unlike the storybooks, the narrative voice in websites is more flexible and experimental. The text and graphics can be linked skillfully in order to explore the potential of narrative voice. However, the narrative voice must be consistent. In ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ the narrative tone maintains the reader’s trust throughout the story that in spite of all the ups and downs, the protagonist will return home safely.

4. Consideration of user’s experience

One of the key features of fluidity and content and design is you trust the user to make connections between the images and the text. As the user accesses the websites, he makes inferences and fills up the gaps. More the power a website gives to its users to build up the narrative connections, more the user gets interested and connected to it. The descriptions must be made as visual as possible. As the text and graphics are inter-dependent, the user finds him compelled to build up the connection and this in turns increments user’s interest and trust in the website details.

About the author: Claudia is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. She recently read an article on hybrid cars that attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on lotus evora.