site design
Unbound: Design matters
Today’s topic is not webcomics themselves but the spaces around them.
A webcomic, by definition, exists on a website, and that website can be a valuable tool to set the tone of a comic, add context, and provide a smooth, pleasant reading experience.
Or not.
I am constantly amazed at the number of creators who work hard to make a good comic and then put it on a generic, poorly designed website that screams “amateur,” or worse, drives the reader away with clumsy navigation.
Design affects readers on an unconscious level. A tightly designed website has an aura of its own that can rub off on the comic and make it seem better than it really is—and a poorly designed site has the same effect in reverse.
It’s a tough world out there, and you want to stack the deck in your favor as much as possible. That means everything on a webcomics site should work to enhance the comic, and anything that doesn’t should be ruthlessly eliminated.
Herewith, then, is a short list of webcomics dos and don’ts.