Good Web Design Is Christian

Design is the marriage of form with function.  As a web project coordinator and also the former director of GodblogCon (now called the Christian Web Conference), I have observed numerous websites that neglect to take into account something the Lord took seriously.  Consider the following passages:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘when you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’” … Now his workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work.  According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.  (Numbers 8:1-4)

You shall also make the court of the tabernacle.  For the south side there shall be hangings of the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side.  And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be bronze.  The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be silver.  (Exodus 27:9-11)

The books of Exodus and Numbers are filled with passages revealing the Lord’s intentionality and care about design.  The tabernacle was not four white walls and and pulpit.  To be intentional in design is to model ourselves after God.  Based on the biblical passages, when God designs, He seems to have two things in mind.  First, the Lord is thinking about His people and how they will use what He is building.  Second, the Lord wants his work to be beautiful.

To do web design Christianly is to care about people and producing beautiful work.  As I stated above, design is the marriage of form and function.  First, consider function, or how people will use the site.  Function can either operate in tune with human nature or at odds with it.  One of the first questions a Christian should ask is “Am I trying to fit man to technology, or am I creating technology to help man?”  Don’t simply create a site or application because you can or because the technology enables you.  If you think a website or piece of technology is necessary, what makes it necessary?  What should people do with it?  What are the top three most important things that people should see or do when they come to the site?  For more thoughts on laying out a basic blueprint for the function of a website, read this article by Trinet CEO John Carley.

Second, consider form.  Just as God was intentional about making His work beautiful, so also should Christians be intentional about forming their work beautifully.  If Christians build beautiful sites, not only will they be imitating God in their work, but also their work will be more enduring.  As Bonaventure reminds us in the Mystical Vine, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; / Its loveliness increases; it will never / Pass into nothingness.”  A truly beautiful site will become increasingly popular even as other sites, built focused on the latest and coolest technology, become outdated and unpopular.  One can beautify a site by caring about the simple, small things.  For example, take care that the words on your site have a spacing, font, and coloration that is easy on the eyes and maybe even fun to read.  Observe the placement of objects on your site – does the layout make sense?  Does it feel right?  Think about how your site could be more artful and delightful to look at.  Finally, be intentional about the designer whom you hire.  Scour portfolios to find a designer whose work excites and clearly directs you.  If the designer is expensive, do your best to afford him or her and don’t cut beauty from the budget.

Don’t let form become the enemy of function, or vice versa.  Were Christians to care about web design as God cared about the design of his creation, Christian sites would be among the most compelling on the web.  Like the Christians of old whose cathedrals still amaze and inspire people today, modern Christians should build sites whose design attests to the greatness of God, sites that attract people and give opportunity to share the Gospel message. ‘