The principles of Feng Shui can teach usability specialists a thing or two (or three) about harmonious website design. Typically, I rant on and on about conforming websites to the way in which people perceive information online. Today, I will rant about how we can use the principles of Feng Shui to create a harmonious balance of energy in the design and development of a website enabling visitors to have a better user experience.
Here is a summary of the three principles of Feng Shui and ways in which we can use these principles to enhance websites.
- Chi-means energy. It moves around us and determines whether we are feeling good or bad. Keeping the chi flowing around a site at a regular pace (not too fast*) can be accomplished through development and design.
- Development: The flow of a website should be circular using links that take your visitor to other locations around the site. The visitor should never feel trapped or like they have to hit the back button.
- Design: Use rounded elements in your design to avoid too many harsh 90 angles formed by elements such as top and left navigation bars, stacked images, and vertical lists of content. Integrate rounded elements such as graceful swirl patterns in the background, images with rounded edges (which can be accomplished in Photoshop), or even rounded fonts.
*Note that chaotic placement of objects or a lot of moving objects simultaneously can get the chi moving too quickly. Static elements as well as some angles can slow the chi to a good pace.
The 5 Elements-A collective term that describes the colors, textures, and shapes around us. The 5 elements can help designers choose color palates to complement a harmonious website. These colors should ideally be used in balance around the website to create a sense of yin and yang, dark and light.
- Fire-red, orange, purple
- Earth-brown, yellow
- Metal-white, metallic
- Water-black, blue
- Wood-green, teal
The Bagua-Describes the location of objects around us, which help balance the 9 important areas of our lives:
- Power/Wealth/Abundance
- Fame/Future/Reputation
- Love/Relationships/Marriage
- Creativity/Children/Legacy
- Compassion/Travel/Helpful People
- Self/Career/Work
- Knowledge/Wisdom/Harmony
- Family/Health/Community
- Well-Being/Balance
In the web world, these correspond to your one-stop categories or channels. (ie. The areas of your site that focus on certain topics). Power/Wealth/Abundance might be your “advertise with us” section. Fame/Future/Reputation could be your “in the news” or press release section. Love/Relationships/Marriage could be the “about us” page or the “related resources” links, etc…
It might take many years, but I think traditional theories of web design, development, and usability will integrate the tenets of Feng Shui eventually. The ideas of keeping energy in harmony are similar to many of design and usability best practices in which there site content is presented purposefully and clutter free. If only our lives outside the website could be so well in balance.
