Principle: Content Before Form
Description
Since design is supposed to present content rather than the other way around, it's important that content takes priority over visual flair
Full story
A common mistake among UX designers is to start with the visual design, populate it with placeholder text and to then work backwards to the content. This is suboptimal, becuse the composition and structure of an interface needs to be based on the user's needs. If a user is interacting with a view, then everything within that view should be designed to support the user in accomplishing their goals. If a design is haphazardly thrown together, then it won't have been optimized to serve the user in a relevant manner. Instead, focus on presenting the core content that the user is expecting to interact with - and design the visuals around that content.
Suggested reading:
- Content-First Design by Balsamiq
- You don’t need the content to design a website by UX Myths
- The content-first approach by Nomensa
