Why You Don’t Over-Engineer Things

Part of designing and building sites is building something fit for purpose. I’d argue for the majority of charities and small business owners fit for purpose means something robust that will stand the test of time. Both in the front end, but crucially behind the scenes and in how people edit the site. It needs to be easy to use and intuitive for everyone, regardless of technical skill

The Longevity Problem

I’ve built a lots of charity websites, and they typically want something that will last as long as possible. It’s almost like me buying a laptop – I expect that bad boy to last me a good 5 years if I can, maybe even 8 with some luck.

During that time, staff turnover is inevitable. When the site launches, there’s often a keen marketing person who knows it inside out. Then they leave. Their replacement might get minimal training. A year later, they leave. Fast forward three years and the original team is gone, and no one really knows the ins and outs of the WordPress dashboard anymore.

This makes total sense as running a charity or small business is demanding. The website, once launched, often becomes background noise until it needs updating. Staff are focused on their core mission, not memorising the intricacies of a content management system.

Keep it simple

This is why you keep things simple. You build for the day when someone who has never touched the site before, who has zero training, needs to update the About Us page or change the hero text on the homepage. Even for more complex things – carousels, image galleries, time tables. They have to be built with simplicity and longevity in mind.

Also, is the underlying platform stable, well-supported, and unlikely to break with routine updates? Does it avoid unnecessary complexity that becomes a maintenance nightmare? Do you need a headless CMS, two hosting platforms and multiple websites when one would do the job better?

Not rocket science

Choosing simplicity isn’t about laziness or building poorly. It’s about applying common sense and matching the solution to the user’s needs and context.

I think of it like NASA designing controls for a Mars mission. A sleek touchscreen interface looks cool, but will it reliably function flawlessly in the harsh conditions of space for years? Or is a simpler, proven, bullet-proof physical control the smarter choice to achieve the mission-critical goal?

Building websites isn’t rocket science (see what I did there), but the principle holds. The “right” solution is the one that delivers the required functionality in the simplest, most robust way possible for that specific client’s situation and foreseeable future.

Planning Ahead Makes it Easier

This is the kicker, if you are planning ahead it doesn’t have to make it harder. It doesn’t have to make it more work. It’s just about asking the questions as to what is the most important thing and how do we plan to use this in one, two or even more years time. It just takes a bit of experience and having seen the whole process repeat several times. People leave, logins get lost. Plan for this.

This is the kicker, building for simplicity and longevity doesn’t have to make it harder. It means asking the right questions upfront:

“Who will be using this in 3 years?” (Hint: Probably someone completely different).

“What platform/tech offers stability and ease of use for this client, long-term?” Resist the allure of the “hot new thing” if it adds unnecessary complexity.

“How can we make editing foolproof?” Design the admin experience with the least technical user in mind.

My final bit of advice on this is to store all critical logins (domain, hosting, CMS admin, email, etc.) securely in one place, accessible to multiple responsible people within the organisation.

Whenever I hand over a site, I provide a ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ document and tell people to keep it somewhere safe.

Keep it secret, Keep it safe

– Gandalf the Grey

If Julia from Marketing leaves in 2 years and she was the sole keeper of the hosting password, you’re in for a world of pain. Whatever you do, don’t let logins be solely the responsibility of Darren, the 19-year-old intern who’s ‘good with computers’. In three years when Darren’s at university and you’re locked out of your own website, you’ll deeply regret that decision.

Over-engineering adds fragility, complexity, and future headaches. For charities and small businesses, building a website that’s simple, robust, and intuitive is essential for their long-term success and sanity. It respects their resources, their staffing reality, and their need for a tool that just works, year after year. Always choose the sturdy, reliable path over the complex, fiddly one. Your clients (and their future, untrained editors) will thank you.