When design criteria were initially established in 2000, Web designers and developers were limited by implementation and technology, modeling web experiences after the print medium. The relative newness of the medium shaped the way web sites were evaluated because consumers were acclimating themselves to a new way of interacting with content. Unfortunately, these standards never evolved, despite consumers' becoming more digital savvy. This is the equivalent of a cave man judging a Lamborghini based on his own design of the wheel.

Here's a look at some of the design criteria whose usefulness may have passed.

The Great Readability and Font Size Debate
Does the difference between 9pt and 10pt represent the difference between success and failure? In 2000 this may have been valid (maybe) but is a non-issue today. Sites are accessible in a wide set of mobile and stationary platforms so resolution, not font size, has a much bigger impact on a site's legibility.

Remember the Fold?
The problem here is fundamental: we're applying a term from a print medium to a digital one (literally where you folded the broadsheet newspaper). Are we really worried about users not knowing how to scroll down a web page? This condescending view overlooks smart design systems that prompt users beyond the initial page view. Is it better to have one long, scrolling web page with clearly organized content, four navigable pages or keep the user focused on the "viewing frame" and trigger layers of content on their prompt? All of these methods have their contextual advantages and should not be evaluated in a vacuum.

Navigation
Today's user does not need one style of navigation system. Consumers are accustomed to navigating through a variety of mobile and digital mediums including phones, ATM screens and DVRs - all of which have a navigation system defined by the platform. One size no longer fits all. It is unrealistic to think designers are going to create new "navigation metaphors" that confuse consumers. We are creating new metaphors because new mediums and platforms demand it

Evaluation standards need to unchain marketers from the minutiae and focus on delivering ground-breaking online experiences. Here are some important questions brands should consider rather than font size and drop down menus:

• Do we want static content or content in motion?
• Do we want to enable browsing and searching together - determinative navigation?
• Should the site feature on-demand navigation or always-on navigation?
• Are we designing for a single or multi-platform experience? - what is the signature style?

In the early part of this decade, static web sites did not foreshadow the digital world's current endless possibilities. If you create an engaging online experience that is true to your brand's message, your successful metrics will be the ultimate evaluation of your strategy.