Lex Parsimoniae is Latin for "Law of Parsimony", which pulled out into its simplest form is the The Law of what can be spared, should.

This is a theory that I have been studying for the past year and through observation believe that this can be applied to all situations that require a more efficient, functional solution. This paradigm has many names, but is best know as Occam's Razor. His razor suggests that when resources are limited or when speed of function is essential, design / complexity trade-offs should be based on what does the least harm to the probability of success, however that is defined.

Form is Function

There is a school of thought that beauty in design results in good function, but I prefer to subscribe the fact that just concentration on the functionality will by its very nature, create its own aura of design. Sometimes, the focus on functional efficiency inspires a feeling that goes beyond aesthetics and ultimately give us the sense that its form is of a higher echelon.

Barrier To Entry

The brain is an amazing piece of kit. One of its most amazing functions is its ability to optimise when processing data. Each brain has been trained over many years (or maybe it inherently has the ability) to simplify individual objects into groups. Instead of seeing each individual blade of grass, the mind sees a field. Millions of pieces of data grouped into one object because it knows, to comprehend millions of pieces of grass would take and enormous amount of effect. Effect that could be focused elsewhere. So it generalises to make life easier. This sort of information overload can happen in design as well; Too much will distract from your likely objective. Remember that 7 Second Rule? If your web app or website has 7 seconds to impress then wouldn't you prefer showing off your functional muscles? How useful your app is? and not long it takes to load the really cool (bandwidth crunching) design? Remember how it easy it is to make your mind up about someone when you them for the first time. Same rules apply.

Just Do It!

What are your objectives and goals? Hopefully, when developing a web app or website, to make your (or your users) life easier! And let's remember, this 'thing' we call the Internet is broken. So don't break any further with dodgy CSS and bloated javascript. Functional Turn Around is the most impressive aspect for me these days. Spend time developing how the app works, refine it, refine it again, then again. Then when it works, design around the edges. If you like Latin phrase then try this one:

"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem", or "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity"

For more information about Occam's Razor and various other development theories, read this Design and Development Blog at www.gammatan.co.uk

One should agree that content is the main thing that keeps visitors coming back for more to your website. Without content, your website is a dead duck in the water. Here are 5 smart ways you can create content for your website without breaking an arm and a leg:

1. Outsource Your Content

You can hire a professional freelancer to create content for you. This is an easy way to get your content created hands free. But the only problem is cost. If you have tons of extra cash lying around, then this is a viable option.

2. Use RSS Feeds

By installing RSS feeds on your site, you can have fresh new content generated practically on the fly. RSS Feeds can typically grab content from new blog posts around the web, news sites and other websites. You can also promote your content via RSS feeds using FeedBurner.

3. Use Blogs

Create a blog and allow people to comment on your posts. The comments are also a way of creating content for your site, only you are not writing the content, your readers are.

4. Create A Forum

A forum is one of the best ways to have tons of content created for you by others. If you have a popular forum, you'll have loads of fresh new information posted by the forum members.

5. Leverage Articles

Take reprint rights articles from article directories and publish them on your own website. There's a whole world of articles out there on article directories that you can use as long as you include the resource box with them.

Creation of a website is not as simple as it used to be, thanks to Google and its innumerable algorithm changes. Surely, you want to create a website to carve an online presence. You could make the swankiest website, but if it does not receive eyeballs (aka traffic), it is worth little to you.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind before you set out to plan your website design, layout, content and other details. With the power of Google looming large over the Internet world, you could well be doomed if your site does not feature high in Google rankings. While Google rankings may not be your current concern, with the nuances of the website to take care of, it is advantageous to keep it in mind while deciding your site layout, content and coding language. More on that in the next article. Lets deals with simple non-technical stuff first.

While many people build websites to please the search engines, do not ignore your human visitors completely. Remember, they are your primary audience. You need to find the right balance, make your website meet the requirements of both.

Your website should have a specific goal. It could be to create an online presence, provide information, make money, generate leads, or just about anything. Next, you need to chalk out a plan for the development of the website. Be aware of the target audience. The audience could be local, international, young, old, men or women, students, professionals. Once you know the segment of people you want to attract, you will find it easier to decide upon the layout, color scheme, tone of language etc. This is because you will then orient your website design to suit your target audience's tastes.

Design a layout that enables the eye to naturally move from one information segment to another effortlessly taking them to the desired part of the website. This could be a signup form, a set of testimonials, a particular product or simply an advertisement.

Choose a good brandable name. This helps in the long run. Create good original content that provides all the necessary information to the audience. Add appropriate images to add to the appeal and beauty of the page. It is advisable to use a good CMS (Content Management System) so that things are easier in the long run. Adding, modifying and deleting pages are a breeze with a good CMS.

Keep your page light to improve loading time. Choose lighter images over heavier ones. After all, YOU will be paying for the bandwidth.

A great idea is to check out how your competitors have designed their websites. If the research has already been done by someone else, make use of it. Do not reinvent the wheel. Focus on improving upon the wheel design.

This has covered the basics. In the next article, we can talk about important onpage optimization aspects to keep in mind while designing your website. You will need to do this if you are hoping to receive traffic from the Search Engines.

You can either take your time to learn the nuances of website design, onpage optimization and Internet Marketing yourself, or you can hire a website design company, depending on what your time is worth. Either ways, it is highly recommended that you begin preparing for the online competition from day one.