Design and function are ever so often confused for each other. In designing a web based application this becomes even more critical since most calls are taken by one or two people teams that have no prior experience of either building User Interface or creating an interactive layout. Get this folks, it is NOT similar to a print ad, so you cannot request multiple ‘options’.
The purpose of ‘design’ is to provide a quick and simple interface that allows users to access the ‘function’. If it stands in the way of that or hides your best features behind 6 clicks, your app is dead in the water.
‘Function’ is NOT i-click-here-and-go-there. It is the central premise, the business ‘reason to exist’, of your site. If you’re creating something with a high function factor, make sure it works fast, loads quick and runs smooth. The form factor should aid this and not add layers to it. In a country where internet speeds are from the Stone Age, this can make all the difference between a successful site and a dead site.