The response to “3 Site Trends to Trash” got me thinking about the differences between how web developers see websites and how the average internet user does. For example, can you remember the first time you went on Facebook? I remember my first time a few years back, I thought it was boring, bland, and ended up lost on several occasions. It was enough to put me off getting my own account for a full year. Now that I’ve become a veteran I see it as clean and organized, and I can easily find my way around profiles of ex-boyfriends to beating high scores on snake. The difference in viewpoint changes with how familiar and experienced you become.

One of the biggest and most important audiences for your website is the first time users. Not only will their first impression decide how long they stay and if they come back, but their also going to communicate the experience to others, and you only want them saying good things. So as web developers, we need to wear bifocals. We should see and understand the site deeply to iron out the fine details and test all aspects of functionality, but we also need to switch off to see the site through the eyes of someone who just wants to find the contact info.

A site that you’ve been working on for awhile instantly becomes more attractive and friendly, much like a fresh pair of beer goggles. To sober up, try taking a day or two off of working on your project, if you can afford it. You’ll see it through new eyes and maybe notice things you didn’t before, like an overly complicated main menu or an overly garish orange background.

Focusing too much on the technical side of a website and what makes sense to you usually doesn’t take into consideration the appearance or user experience for the average human being. It might make perfect sense for you to reach a certain page through a complicated filtering system or to label things as “modules,” but most will feel like they’ve just climbed into a rocket’s cockpit. Pretend you’re using the website for the first time, and you don’t know a backend from a database. You’ll probably make the site a lot less complicated and much more inviting to the average user.

The best way to see your site realistically, is by actually using another person’s eyes. So enroll the help of your little sister, your computer illiterate best friend, even your mom. Chances are those are the people who will be using your website, and they’ll be able to see things way more objectively than you could ever try to.