Just like Post-it Notes and the computer itself, the Internet has changed all of our lives. But it's a love/hate relationship, for sure.

Just like Post-it Notes and the computer itself, the Internet has changed all of our lives. But it's a love/hate relationship, for sure.

You've got to love it because if a Web site is good, it saves time. It's quick and efficient, and sometimes I stumble across some other information that might be useful in the future.

The Web can save money, too. First, there are major real estate savings. I now have the smallest-size office I've ever had in a 42-year career because I don't have to store as many catalogs and samples. When I started my own interior design company, I worked out of my house, and did some remodeling in order to create more storage for my catalogs. Today, I don't have to keep a library up to date - the manufacturers do that for me, for which I am grateful.

Because it's harder to become familiar with new resources, a Web site such as www.designersources.com is invaluable. It organizes sources and products and a whole lot more. It can store a file, which the designer can share with a client. It offers online presentation boards to eliminate the cut-and-paste process, and it offers an online marketplace with the ability to buy and sell merchandise. It is especially useful in introducing the designer to new sources and product information, because the library is organized by category and links to more than 3,000 sites, adding about 100 a month.

But then there is the hate part. My pet peeve is a Web site that is not regularly updated or serviced by the manufacturer. Recently, I went to a site that had not been updated since 2005. The company's 2006 introductions were not included on the site, so I could not find the piece of furniture I wanted to show to a client.

And if a Web site's customer service department doesn't respond to inquiries in a timely manner, then it's back to the telephone and dealing with a time zone problem. I admit it, we're spoiled with instant information, so when it doesn't happen, it's annoying. Also, because each Web site has its own look, a designer may get carried away with presenting the company in an artistic way and forget that a newcomer to the site has to learn how to navigate the information. A Web site is a key part of a company's brand, and being user-friendly says something about the company.

It's important to remember a Web site has several users: the design community, the company's own sales and marketing folks and, most important, the client or end-user. If they don't like going to your site, they won't like your products.

Just like the instant makeover home-design programs on television - which are about entertainment, not good design - the Web is a useful tool, but it doesn't provide design, which has been defined as a combination of function, safety, durability and aesthetics.

And just as showrooms have found that "open to the public" requires more showroom personnel to service the public, the sell-direct Web sites will find it takes people to service the public's information and design guidance needs. Furthermore, some studies have shown that clients will make larger purchases from a showroom if accompanied by a designer than they will on their own.

Designers and architects use the Internet to provide information quickly and enjoy the ease of communication - especially in this global economy, where a client and design professional may not be in the same state or country. But it does demand a responsibility on the part of the manufacturer to provide a navigable Web site that is helpful for all who visit, as well as responsive and up-to-date.

Liz Dreher Howard, FASID, is president of Howard Design Group. For more information, call 808-732-4915 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .