Symmetry VS. asymmetry in web design

Symmetry is generally discouraged by visual design professionals because it can makes a design static. Lacking visual dynamism is generally not the best way to hold a viewers interest.

But how do we handle this if the audience is an active participant in what they are looking?

Symmetrical designs of web pages are not always the worst. Sometimes the less than professional look of a design is the visual message that needs to be sent. For example craigslist , the audience being people who are usually not design professionals, who want to find the products and services of other people who are probably not design professionals. It is an important in the design process to consider the audience and there expectations. At other times the audience expects a design that looks professional because a professional looking design will increase the viewers trust in the company's professionalism. There are many scams on the internet so usually it is a good idea to have a web site that does not look homemade. If a viewer goes to a page like This and sees its they may have questions about supplying such a company with their credit card information.

A professional looking design has many elements that make it look professional. One of those elements is the more dynamic look of an asymmetrical design. For example Audi has a site that uses the whitespace in there image to create asymmetrical balance which makes for a more professional looking design. Even if this site was not the home page of a company that many people already know, the look of it would create trust in in the company.