Albert Einstein was an interesting character! Born in Germany but moving the United States later with his biggest discovery of all times, the splitting of the atom, Einstein represented all of the best of creativity and science, all rolled into one.
Einstein had the vision and the obsession that you might compare to someone like Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison. In fact, Steve Jobs had a large picture of Einstein up in the Apple building on display to inspire him. Einstein believed that anything was possible, there are no accidents, and that we are largely in control of our fates.
Given his open-minded view of the world and the possibilities, there’s no doubt he would be amazed but not surprised at many of our current inventions and new technology advancements. What would he think about the smartphone? Would he ask why they call it a smartphone when it is incapable of creating anything original?
He was a highly innovative scientist who refused even to read the studies of other scientists for fear that it might influence his original, and unfettered discoveries that he alone wanted to explore and test out in his own time.
I’ve often wondered what he would advise us to do about our web design and how he would approach it. I’ve come up with a few “unquotes” that he might say below. I call them “unquotes” because he never said them. Still, I think he would agree with them if he were alive today.
“Everything is relative.”
First, Einstein would say that everything is relative. In fact, I think he did say this one. But regarding web design, I think he would agree with this as well. Web design is an art more than a science. And while there are some “best practices” associated with the design of web pages, there is no exact way to do it.
He would tell business owners to “go with your gut” and to do what you think works best with your business. He would state that “Every website is its web, and every business, it’s own universe.” By that (I think) he would mean that every website is like a tiny atom, spinning on an ethereal ball within a larger sphere of others. And, while they depend on each other to some extent, they must also stand alone. So do what works for you.
“There must be intelligent design.”
Einstein once alluded to the fact that God or some Divine Being must exist. He believed that the universe could not exist without it. Likewise, no website just “comes together” which goes with another of his saying, “There are no accidents.” He once also said, “God doesn’t throw dice.”
So take Uncle Albert’s advice and remember the importance the web designer plays in the making of your site. Don’t just expect it to come together on its own. It takes planning and coordination of some key components to make it work.
“There is music in the stars.”
No, Einstein never said this. But I believe he probably believed it, based on my studies of the man. He started each day by playing several bars of a famous Mozart piece on the piano. He stated that it helped him focus for the rest of the day.
Given his appreciation and love of music and the fact that it helped him focus, he might tell you that a good web design should be creative and include music, or at least some form of artistic expression within your site design. He would likely see web design as a combination of science and art and of math and reading. He would likely laugh at that analogy.
“We are all on the way to somewhere.”
Again, I don’t know if Albert ever said this, but I can picture him saying it regarding life, the universe, and his belief in Physics and how it worked. Likewise, I think he would see web design as just some colossal experiment that seemed to exist on our desktops but existed in space. He would further state that your website would always be in a constant state of flux and that it would be foolish to believe that it should stay the same.
Taking this idea into account might help web designers to think about how they should alter their website to meet the changing needs of their customer base, their technological issues, and the future of web design.
“All we have is today.”
Despite Einstein’s apparent genius in the field of science, I think he was an incurable romantic. Though he divorced his wife early in their marriage and preferred solitude, I believe his romance was with his work and the stars and that he saw life as an opportunity for happiness and change.
He would tell web designers that you should take advantage of every occasion. He would also state that, if you are not careful, you could lose a substantial chance that might only open once in a lifetime. He would wisely advise that there are things you should ponder on and wait for, but others you should grab onto assertively to claim them.
Creating your website is one of those things that he would view as significant if he were alive today and talking to us about web design. I think he would stress that all you have is today, this moment. So you should make the most of it and find practical ways to implement your plan.
He would also tell us to focus on what is important, test your theories to see if they work (not just on paper), and that there is an ideal website somewhere in the theoretical world, but probably not in the real world.
In other words, he would say to do the best you can to promote your ideas within your website in ways that made people stop and take notice. If your purpose is to “wow” them, then use your website to create the kind of amazement that you want to create with your ideas.
“E=MC2 Only Works in Physics”
Finally, Albert Einstein would probably say that there is no mathematical formula for site design because branding and web design is a product of the heart and soul, not a systematic process that starts with a mathematical formula or some “cookie cutter” pattern.
He would say to hire a web design firm that understood this, and which understood the specific needs of your business and could bring a strong element of creative thought to it. He would stress individuality over group thinking and originality over copied content. He would tell you to do it today, not tomorrow and do it well.
At webdesignteam.com, we understand much of this. In fact, it’s what we love doing all of the time. We don’t have an IQ of 200 which Mr. Einstein probably had. We don’t understand Physics or comprehend the theory of relativity.
But we do know what makes a great website. And who knows, perhaps as intelligent as Einstein was, he found a way to speak to us through this blog. Perhaps he is watching us right now!
Whatever the case, we think Al would be proud and so will you.
For a site that Einstein would be proud of, contact us at webdesignteam.com.
We don’t know Physics. But we know web design. And the space and time continuum is waiting to see what we can create together.