Basic Principles of web design
Websites that are badly designed operate poorly and have subpar Google Analytics stats (e.g. high bounce rates, low time on site, low pages per visit and low conversions). So, what constitutes good web design? We will look at the top web design principles that will make your website more aesthetically attractive, user-friendly, engaging, and effective. For more information, check out web design toronto.
Function
A good web design constantly considers the user’s needs. Are your website visitors seeking for information, entertainment, engagement, or to transact with your company? Each page of your website must have a certain function and meet a specific demand for your website viewers in the most efficient way possible.
Interaction
People on the internet like to get information quickly, therefore it is critical to communicate effectively and make your content easy to read and absorb. Utilizing headings and subheadings to organise information, using bullet points instead of long windy phrases, and cutting the waffle are all successful web design strategies.
Various typefaces
Sans Serif fonts, such as Arial and Verdana, are often simpler to read online (Sans Serif fonts are contemporary looking fonts without decorative finishes). The optimal font size for easy internet reading is 16px and keep your design simple by using no more than three fonts in no more than three point sizes. Effective Web Design Principles Serif vs. Sans Serif Typography
Colours
A well-thought-out colour palette may significantly improve the user experience. Colours that are complementary to one another generate balance and harmony. Reading will be easier on the eyes if the text and backdrop are in contrasting colours. Vibrant colours evoke feelings and should be used carefully (e.g. for buttons and call to actions). Finally, white space/negative space is highly helpful in giving your website a contemporary and uncluttered appearance.
Images
A picture is worth a thousand words, and selecting the proper photos for your website may aid in brand positioning and engaging with your target audience. If you do not have access to high-quality professional pictures, consider acquiring stock photos to improve the appearance of your website. Consider employing infographics, films, and visuals, as they may be far more successful at conveying than even the best-written prose.
Honest and Engaging Design
Social media has had a tremendous influence on written and spoken communication. Visitors want to be involved in a way that is really “human.” Even the greatest global businesses have been pushed to humanise their operations. Every word, phrase, and headline must be user-friendly, honest, and have an engaging aspect that makes it interesting.
The underlying idea is that people desire and value honesty. Let them know who you are if your firm participates in numerous charitable activities or donates time to issues that are important to you.
Navigation
The ease with which users may take action and navigate around your website is referred to as navigation. A logical page structure, the usage of breadcrumbs, the design of clickable buttons, and adhering to the ‘three click rule,’ which states that users should be able to locate the information they are searching for within three clicks, are some techniques for effective navigation.
Layouts with grids
Placing material on your website at random might result in a haphazard and untidy design. Grid-based layouts divide information into sections, columns, and boxes that line up and seem balanced, resulting in a more visually appealing website design.
Design of the letter “F”
According to eye tracking research, individuals scan computer screens in a “F” pattern. The majority of what people view is at the top and bottom of the screen, with the right side of the screen being rarely seen. Rather than attempting to force the viewer’s visual flow, well-designed websites will work with the reader’s natural behaviour and provide content in descending order of relevance (left to right, and top to bottom).
Distracting yet not innovative
Make advantage of whitespace to improve design and user experience. Creativity and natural talent are required for an amazing design. Professionals in the design business know how to make advantage of whitespace. Whitespace, often known as negative space, is the “empty” space on a page that exists between visual components, pictures, and text.
A creative use of design components and whitespace results in a less distracting, more attractive design that directs visitors to the desired destination. Consider the memorable logos of Apple and Google.
A website is more successful when it has a simple, clean design that is surrounded by whitespace. Cheaper, lower-quality items frequently have crowded, noisy, ad-oriented designs, and website users immediately associate a distracted site with a lower-quality product.
Loading time
Everybody despises a website that takes forever to load. Tips for improving website load speeds include optimising picture sizes (size and scale), consolidating code into a single CSS or JavaScript file (which lowers HTTP requests), and minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (compressed to speed up their load time).
Suitable for mobile devices
Because it is now common to visit websites from different devices with varying screen sizes, it is critical to examine whether your website is mobile friendly. If your website is not mobile compatible, you can either rebuild it in a responsive layout (which means it will react to different screen sizes) or create a new mobile site (a separate website optimised specifically for mobile users).
Coherent Design
As an entity, your company has a distinct identity. That personality shines through in your service, your history, how you envision your goal, and the behaviours of every member of your team. Communicating the distinct traits of your company through design entails making every aspect, even down to the minutiae, a representation of that personality. A design has no small elements – every item must come together flawlessly and produce a coherent appearance that supports the attractiveness of your brand.
Conclusion
By keeping these design aspects in mind, it is simple to develop a beautiful and effective website. Do you have a website design that needs to be reviewed or optimised? Or maybe you are planning a website and want to get the design perfect from the start. In any case, these successful web design concepts may help your website be more engaging, helpful, and memorable to users.