Design Can be Likened to a Wine Glass

I often talk to many people about design and the web. One of the more common criticisms I receive of the Web Design industry as a whole is that it isn’t a necessity. It should instead be an afterthought in a very large scheme of building a concept & of course content. I’ve always in one way or another, explained that design, when done correctly should be part of the plan for a project, and in no way hinder its value or substance.


When a small business decides to create an online presence, they have many things to consider about where to put their man-hours or their money. This is often why people consider design to be an after-thought of the actual process. Why waste money on a site built to their specifications when they could find a simple template for 10 dollars? There are quite a few reasons as to why a business should make sure to have an original and personalized site for their purposes, but one of the most important is simply the emotion and tangible interaction between the user of the website & and the website itself.

I was recently reading an older article in the Design Observer and came across this great comparison between Design and a Wine Glass.

Graphic design has been likened to a wine glass. When we drink wine we barely notice the glass it’s served in. It wouldn’t be true to say that we don’t care what glass we drink out of — we wouldn’t choose to drink a rare vintage out of a Tupperware mug, for example — but it’s the wine that matters, not the vessel it comes in. Adrian Shaughnessy

The glass is not only an aesthetic addition to the wine, but something that makes the wine more enjoyable and brings out the flavor and notes. While the wine (or content & idea) are king, the cooperation between it and the glass make sure that the wine is received in its true form.

Although personally, I’d much rather have a Yeti Imperial Stout in a Snifter.