Photography's Impact on Design

How many of you close your eyes when surfing the Internet? I'm guessing that everyone who can see not only keeps their eyes open while looking at websites, it's almost always the primary sense being engaged.

And while text may serve as the main course, photos typically serve the role as the indulgent dessert. When done well, they satisfy the user's sense of aesthetics and help retain attention while information is conveyed. When done poorly or when a website is absent of photographs, the end result is an undercut shell of what its potential may have been.

High-quality photos are useful, and since stock image galleries are so competitive on the net, businesses don't have to break the bank in order to handpick a few choice shots to fill out the content on their sites.

Of course, an ideal solution is to get "real" photos by hiring a professional photographer to shoot company employees, as well as (hopefully) satisfied and happy customers. Nailing your brand imaging campaign sometimes comes down to this very process-getting the shots that tell the story supporting all your best claims as a business.

Websites with poor photography are a turnoff. Customers often make impulse decisions about the credibility of a business and the desirability of its products and services just based on how much thought and effort went into the presentation of those products and services on the website.

If you skimp or ignore the value of photography, expect to lose a certain amount of business as a result. On the other hand, if you give photography its proper due, you'll reap the benefits from many great first impressions and an excited potential customer base.