The design is very closely related to usability. It is inseparable. After all, design significantly impacts the final perception and ease of interaction with the website.
Design can evoke different emotions, motivate something, pay attention to individual elements. Therefore, it is crucial to use the power of design correctly and not make mistakes present on many websites and spoil the behavioral factor of the resource.
Strictly on the grid!
The design layout of the website begins with the creation of a grid. It is the division of the website page layout by vertical and/or horizontal grid lines. The grid can be considered a single framework for placing all elements of the website. If they neglect the design, visually, the website visitors think that some parts seem to hang in the air, there are no relationships with other elements on the page.
Our brain tends to order, and we don’t notice alignment. But we can easily see the mess in its absence.
Adherence to style
We are all familiar with the concept of style. However, the website also has its style.
The individual design elements need to combine with a standard style (a design template) applied globally for all website pages. It will help achieve uniformity and facilitate the interaction of visitors with the website – they will quickly get used to and understand what’s what. Communicating with such a website will be easy, and most likely, they will come more than once.
How to achieve your style in design?
Make sure that all elements of the same type on the website design in the same way:
- headlines of internal pages;
- subheadings in the texts;
- texts;
- link;
- buttons;
- menu;
- icons;
- filters and sorting;
- search.
It is excellent and convenient when the same type of information in the product cards present in the same form and the same place.
For example, the characteristics of all products place strictly on a separate tab. Thus, going from card to card, the visitor will already know where to look for product features.
And where is the main thing for you here?
Once on the website, the visitor often does not notice the necessary information, as it is difficult to distinguish among other noise, clutter.
This problem arises due to a large number of noticeable, distracting elements. Visual noise generated by:
- accumulation of bright graphic elements: pictures, banners;
- too many functions, mainly if they not organize but scattered on the page;
- use of more than two fonts in different sizes and colors;
- the use of a large number of colors in the design of the elements;
- lack of uniformity in the creation of the same type of elements.
All this distracts visitors, and essential elements of the website are simply lost.
Help your website users: highlight important information and the essential features, among other elements.
Primary functions
Almost all websites have standard functional elements, such as buttons, input fields. In addition, standard visual templates use for classic available details.
In the design of the website, you need to show that the button is a button, the input field – a field.
Pursuing a unique design should not abandon the visual templates that will simplify working with the website. For example, you should not make the buttons look like pictures, as visitors may not guess that these are buttons.
Is it a link or text?
Website navigation will be easy if links in the text should always highlight. For example, a standard link template is underlining and/or highlighted in blue. But this established pattern is ignored on most websites.
A link template often uses for plain text, so it is inevitably associated with a link.
Thoughtless use of underlining and color design for the main text confuses visitors, makes it challenging to navigate the website.
It hurts to watch
The website’s design will be pleasing to the eye if it is essential to choose the right colors.
The website’s design can have various problems associated with the incorrect use of colors: insufficient contrast, saturated additional colors (for example, red text on a blue background), the excessive color saturation of the elements.
Unfortunately, many “made on their knees” websites still convince that their design is the best.
Choose the right colors!
When choosing colors, you need to be guided by the context: the theme of the website and its target audience. In the design, it is always better to follow a calmer and more versatile color combination:
- neutral light background (white or light gray),
- dark page titles, body text,
- attract attention with color (but not flashy) controls.
Importantly! It is better not to use a colored background for the website because the texts on any background other than white are difficult to read.
The text to read should contrast nicely with the background. There should be an 80% contrast.
Insufficient contrast makes the text difficult to read. And search engines do not like it. They can apply a filter.
Content is our everything
For many websites in textual content – the main component, so the text should be easy to read.
On the website, it is better to use:
- fonts without serifs and with sharp outlines, such as Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Open Sans. Notched fonts like Georgia Times and on the screen can look a bit “untidy”, just uncomfortable to read.
- size from 12 px. Text smaller than 10 pixels is difficult to read. For page titles and subheadings, the text should be larger – from 14 px.
- lowercase letters for the main text. Capital letters (CAPS) should use with caution, not used for whole sentences and paragraphs. This text is valid only in headings and subheadings.
In general, two fonts for the main text and headings are enough for website design.
Importantly! Using a large number of fonts of different sizes and colors leads to visual noise.
Jewelry for no reason
You need to know moderation in design. For example, we have already said that bright colors, pictures, and frames help attract attention and highlight the importance. But they should be used only when they serve to solve a problem.
Otherwise, there is a risk of getting carried away with the design and start doing design for the sake of design.
In this case, the design will distract from the valuable content of the website.
Take it for granted: a visitor comes to the website not to admire the design but to find information. The plan should help him in this!
If the decorative element (icon, picture, frame) does not carry a semantic load but place on a beauty website, it can safely remove.
Results:
Develop a website design for the target audience, taking into account its needs and features. Each, even small, element in the design should have its practical purpose.
If you want your website to be a business tool – treat it that way and forget the words “I like it and I don’t”, the website should not like you, it should like your target audience and bring you profit.
If there are errors on your website, order a redesign. The redesigned service is much cheaper to develop “from scratch”. But at the same time, you get an interesting, attractive page. In addition, we will not just change the design but also write a new text. See the service “Redesign of websites“.