Web design relies on Louis Sullivan's classic principle that form follows function. Sullivan, an American architect, coined the phrase in 1896 when he argued for the upward structure of skyscrapers:

Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function, and this is the law.… Is it really then, a very marvelous thing, or is it rather so commonplace, so everyday, so near a thing to us, that we cannot perceive that the shape, form, outward expression, design or whatever we may choose, of the tall office building should in the very nature of things follow the functions of the building. (qtd. in Michl 3)

In web site design "there is a constant pull between art and utility, extravagance and practicality, entertainment and reference," but the form must follow the function (Veen 2). Every web site falls somewhere between each set of extremes--the site concerned with creating a dynamic, aesthetic experience, and the site concerned with the display and organization of information. (2.1, 2.2) The goal is to establish a balance: a well organized structure for the information that includes visual elements which enhance the content.