Design
6 Crucial Differences Between Print and Web Design
  by:  |  Oct 25, 2016
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Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 11:50 pm

The differences between print and web design in a business setting often devolve into which format is better or worse. But as we discussed in a previous post, this premise is flawed.

Given the proper context, they are different tools, each working better than the other. Any enterprise that believes in data-driven action owes itself to invest in both and use them where their strengths work best.

But even within businesses that understand the need for print and digital, designs haphazardly used across both media remain.

These differences between print and website design should help inform your decision to build your marketing campaigns.


1.) Online users are less patient.


wristwatch

Via photopin (license)

We are far more willing to put up a wall of text in print than online. Part of this has to do with expectations. Online content is implicitly for immediate consumption. Print content is expected to be more in-depth. Obviously, this isn’t always true, but most people are primed to be more accepting of long-form print content than on a website.

One possible explanation that isn’t tied to culture or expectations is that electronic formats may be more tiring. A 2005 study from Sweden found that reading from digital sources is more taxing to our brains. This might explain why so many of us are concerned these days.


2.) Print is about time on page; web is about time on site.


While there are multi-page print products, most print designers often work with single-page formats such as flyers, business cards, and posters. Even with multi-page designs, crucial elements such as the front and back covers of books need to focus on generating as much interest as possible within that space, as the contents may not be immediately accessible.

In contrast, while time on an internet page can still be an essential metric, a single landing page can be designed to lead customers to other parts of the site. Thus, making time on any specific page is less crucial than overall site time. When designing for either format, these important differences should be considered.


3.) Web design offers more user engagement possibilities.


Social media spoons

Via photopin (license)

Here’s where print and web design differences are a little more pronounced. You can include contact information, making any print material a two-way communications medium. Also, you can add (clearly non-clickable) links, snail mail addresses, and phone numbers. But they will never be as convenient as a website or social media page.

In most cases, web design for enterprises should take advantage of the medium. This could mean designing pages to facilitate more accessible communication with customers. It may even mean enabling more straightforward ways for them and other site visitors to add user-generated content such as comments and videos.


4.) Web offers multimedia experiences.


Speaking of videos, web design can also include types of content that would never be possible on conventional print products. Traditional print products can’t incorporate video, animation, or audio. But this is quickly done with websites.

Websites should be designed with these possibilities in mind. Even the specific design of these multimedia elements should consider how they will be experienced online. For instance, even videos for the web and TV have to be created with different considerations in mind.


5.) Print offers a more uniform experience.


People view websites from various devices, with different operating systems, through a dozen other browsers, each with different versions and plugins. When you throw multimedia experiences in, you’ll have to contend with poor screens and audio devices. This can mean user experiences with your website can be vastly different.

What you design for print is generally what your audience gets. With an experienced printer, it will always be what your audience gets.


6.) Print offers crucial tactile and olfactory possibilities.


print materials are tactile

Print as a medium is far superior to electronic because it stimulates touch and smell. And I’m not just saying that because an old book scent is wonderful.

Sure, phones and gaming devices may vibrate. New media technologies that allow limited kinds of smelling experiences exist. But print remains the premiere technology for helping us absorb written information.

Multiple studies have demonstrated the superiority of paper as an information delivery system compared to their electronic counterparts. Feeling the textures on paper and card stock as we read helps strengthen pathways in the brain related to learning new information. The smell of print also further strengthens these neural pathways.

The designer should consider the choice of stocks. It makes a difference in the experience of the audience. This applies whether you use paper, PVC, cardboard, vinyl, or some other material. When possible, the stocks to be used in a print project must be considered during the design process.


What other differences between print and web design are there? Comment below.


 


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