When you start designing or developing a website, it’s like painting a picture: it’s never finished. A website, whether it’s a personal blog or a full-fledged application, will always have improvements that can be made.
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” – Leonardo da Vinci
The real art is knowing when you can stop. At a certain point, the benefits to each brush and key stroke start to taper off. The question becomes, “When is it good enough?”
I think that’s why “lean startup” and “minimum viable product” are such popular terms in the tech space now. They are the acceptance that you’ll never truly finish. When you think of all the things that could go into the website, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But when you keep things simple and instead focus on just a few of the main features, things become much more manageable.
Unlike a painting that gets hung on the wall, a website doesn’t have to be left alone once it’s out there for everyone to see. So don’t abandon it, either. It’s allowed to adapt and change over time.
Once I realized that I might never truly finish a website or be totally satisfied with its current state, I started to enjoy the process again. Just don’t give up along the way.
August 10, 2011 at 4:45 pm
http://zombo.com/ proves this incorrect.
August 10, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Ha! I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t know what to do to improve that site.
August 12, 2011 at 7:06 am
I disagree, I don’t find that website perfect. There’s no enter or skip intro icon and it’s too lengthy, I got bored and it took too long to figure out what the website was. It was cute but too repetitive. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it!
November 3, 2011 at 11:44 am
So true man.