Smart design makes the realization of Web site goals possible. It is a balance of brand extension, user interface, and information architecture. Design should not hit you over the head — it should whisper in your ear. It must simultaneously reinforce your brand and get out of the way to let the user experience begin.

Smart design must be coupled with valid, standards-based markup language. The advantages for your Web site are:

• Your pages will open and load much faster due to reduced file size
• Your Web site is easier to maintain resulting in reduced costs
• Your Web site can evolve as the standards evolve without risk of it becoming obsolete due to the use of proprietary code
• Web standards help the different user-agents of the Web (browsers, cell phones, PDA’s, screen readers for the blind, and search bots like Google) communicate in a way that is understood by everyone, regardless of what they are using to access the Internet
• Sadly, the majority of sites you see today are not standards-compliant. There are a number of reasons this occurs, but the primary reason is a lack of knowledge and skill.