What are some challenges designers face when designing for scalability?

Hello,

Some challenges designers face when designing for scalability is controlling costs .
"Architects are often challenged to maintain future-proof designs while maintaining the budget."

Is that correct ? Another reason plz.

 

I don't think that is a challenge. When your user base grows, your revenue grows exponentially.

 

I'm going to assume you mean from a front-end perspective.

The biggest challenge is dealing with the artsy fartsy types under the delusion they are "designers" when all they know is photoshop, and do not in fact know the first blasted thing about HTML, CSS, emissive colourspace or accessibility... to the point MOST "designers" aren't in fact qualified to be designing but two things right now...

If you avoid pointless presentational images that have jack *** to do with your content, build from a content first perspective with separation of presentation from content via semantic markup, using methodology like progressive enhancement -- all fancy ways of saying "using HTML and CSS properly" -- then scalebility at least from the front end point of view should be inbuilt and a non-issue.

But if you sleaze together off the shelf frameworks, most of which (like bootcrap or jquery) make you work harder and not smarter, letting some PSD jockey piss out a pretty picture to call it "design" and load up on the scripttardery that adds NOTHING of value to the page, then, well... It's going to fall apart should you get real traffic numbers... or should I say IF you get real traffic since unless your content is "that damned good" the inaccessible train wrecks of how NOT to build a website that result from sleazy scam artist bullshit, developer ignorance and halfwit delusions.

Such sites usually the result of people using turdpress, bootcrap, bootools, jqueery, dreambeaver are typically doomed to fail inside a year, or simply be stuck as an "also ran" website never seeing true success. Sure, you can scam some client into thinking you know what you are talking about, taking their money and running for the hills, but that's not exactly a professional attitude even if it is what most people calling themselves "professionals" right now seem to be doing.

There's a reason I rail against all the nube predating bullshit people use to sleaze together sites any-old-way right now -- scalability is just one of them. You use the sleazy shortcut that in fact makes more work not less like bootcrap or jqueery, don't be surprised when it turns around and bites you on the ass!

But I made my bones a decade ago by taking websites that were killing multi-processor Xeons PER SITE and hosting five of them comfortably off a single P4B. YMMV. Simple fact is, the more bloated the site, the sooner you'll end up throwing more hardware at it to scale things up, and that only works so far before you are forced to rethink your inks.

 

Excellent explanation.

If you give more detail about progressive enhancement with example that should be great.

I've seen you mentioned it from time to time but never understand about that.

Thanks,

 

Interesting you say that, since I made a thread in response to your asking that like a month ago.
https://forums.digitalpoint.com/threads/progressive-enhancement-design-from-the-inside-out.2759516/

Progressive enhancement is a very simple concept -- you start out with the content, then mark it up (aka add HTML to it to say what things are), then you style it for all your different layouts (since there's more than just screen, and more than just one size to support), then add any scripting enhancement.

You start at the bottom and slowly add the extra features. Content first, HTML second (since not everyone is sighted and will even see layout), CSS and non-semantic markup third, Scripting last if needed/desired. By working progressively in steps towards the goal of an accessible site, it means the page will "gracefully degrade" when the fancy parts are missing -- that means sure, you might not get the gee whiz ain't it neat scripting or fancy rounded corners, but the page will still be USABLE doing again what a website is SUPPOSED to be doing.

Delivering content to users. That's what it's for, anything else is window dressing, or worse just gets in the way of that.

... and SO many things that are "popular" amongst "designers" get in the way of that -- again most people calling themselves "designers" don't know enough about UX, UI design, or accessibility to be designing anything. It ends up the equivalent of hiring Bob Ross when you need Tom Wright, or worse hiring that charlatan Frank Gehry (with his obsession on treating people like a five year old with a magnifying glass treats ants) when you need Charlie Frattini.

It's like having a theme park, and instead of bringing in McDonalds, KFC, or some other company with reasonable prices and fast food experience, you bring in a corporate catering service like Creative Gourmet with their twenty buck a plate prices, then sit there wondering why nobody is spending money in the food court after they've already blown $25 bucks a head just to get in the front gate... because of course those schoolbus loads of children will be so interested in Tomato Pesto sandwiches, Cucumber Lemon Water, the antipesto and pickled vegetable bar and the all-time favorite watermelon and feta salads.

Not that I EVER worked for a non-profit educational institution back in the 1990's that did something that colossally stupid...

Even Gordon Ramsey can make Fish and Chips, and recognizes when it's time to do so.

 

Okay, I got it. So this is the concept behind progressive enhancement.

When you say that again, I would have known where is it from.

Thank you,