Web design is a visual medium. Buttons, images, colors, animations, and typography are all common elements found in a web site. These elements function and make the site visually more appealing; however, separated from the content, they do nothing to help the user find information. If visitors cannot find the information they need, then pleasing graphics will not keep them from becoming frustrated and searching elsewhere.

Users now want information: "The pioneering Web ‘surfers' who were content to skim the surface of Internet documents are now outnumbered. People are turning to the Web for information--information with depth, breadth, and integrity" (Lynch and Horton ix). People now search for the cheapest airline fares, plan their next vacation, and research investment options through various Internet sites. The visual elements alone do not make these sites successful.

During the process of developing a web site, one needs to consider the relationship between the content and the visuals. The visual elements will become meaningful when they serve their purpose--to provide access to the content. If a designer adds a navigational icon to represent a category of information, then the visual has a function: to make the information accessible to the user. (1.1)