9 Ways To Incorporate Good Design In Web Development
It’s easy to get caught up in the minutia when building or remodelling a website. Is that the proper tone of blue? Is it preferable to have the logo on the left or right side of the display? However, in a world where ther eare approximately 1.8 billion websites to browse, you need to make sure yours is not just a pretty face. Usability and user experience (UX), or how pleasant it is to use your website, should be primary design goals.
Now, you could spend years studying the ins and outs of these disciplines But to make life easier we’ve detailed 9 ways to incorporate good design in web development, take a look…
1. Simplicity
While the way your site looks is crucial, most visitors aren’t checking it out to see how well designed it is. They need to accomplish something or locate certain data. Therefore, extraneous design components (those that don’t contribute anything to the user experience) only serve to confuse and frustrate site users, who are attempting to go where they need to go. When it comes to usability and UX, minimalism is your best friend.
2. Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy, which is closely related to the idea of simplicity, entails structuring and organising website elements in such a way that users are drawn to the most significant aspects first. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of usability and UX optimisation is to guide visitors to take a desired action in a way that is both intuitive and pleasurable for them. You can build your site such that people’s eyes are pulled to specific parts of it by changing their position, colour, or size.
3. Navigability
The success of your website depends on the ease with which users can navigate it and locate the information they need. A user should be able to land on your site and immediately know what to do next. The path from A to B should be as smooth as feasible. Don’t overwhelm visitors with too many links on one page. Simplicity again! Integrate links into the text of your page and clearly label their destinations. Create a simple wireframe map, with all the pages of your site grouped in a pyramidal fashion. Beginning with your homepage, each successive tier represents a different set of pages to which you have links. Most maps benefit from having no more than three levels of depth. Finally, after you’ve decided on the primary (top) navigation for your site, stick with it. Your navigation bars shouldn’t change labels or placement between pages.
4. Consistency
All of the pages on your site, not just the homepage, should have the same general design and navigation. Consistency in the use of colours, backgrounds, fonts, and even voice can have a significant impact on the user experience and ease of use of your product. That doesn’t mean you have to use the same format for every page. Create unique designs for various page kinds (homepages, resource pages, etc.). By sticking to those formats, site users will have a better idea of what to expect from any given page.
5. Responsivity
People will quickly lose interest in your site and go on to one that is more mobile-friendly if it does not adapt to the screen size of the device being used to access it. The lesson here is that in order to give a genuinely fantastic user experience, your site must be compatible with the wide variety of devices your audience may be utilising. This is referred to as “responsive design” in the technological sphere. For optimal viewing on any device, responsive websites scale and rearrange their information mechanically. The use of mobile-friendly HTML templates or the development of a dedicated mobile site are both viable options. More important than having a uniform appearance across all devices is providing a fantastic user experience. In addition to making sure your site works well on mobile devices, you should also check for browser compatibility issues. You probably haven’t looked at your site on more than one browser, such Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or another option.
6. Accessibility
The purpose of online accessibility is to ensure that all users, regardless of disabilities or limitations, can effectively navigate a website. It is your responsibility as a web designer to include these people in your UX (user experience) strategy. Accessibility, like responsiveness, refers to your site as a whole, including its layout, design, and the text and images it contains.
7. Conventionality
Web designers have a tough time striking a balance between being creative and meeting user expectations. Most of us are seasoned online veterans who have adopted certain habits throughout the years. Some of these include putting the primary menu at the top (or left) of the page, making links and buttons alter their look when hovered over, etc. Users may experience discomfort or frustration if the site doesn’t behave as expected.
8. Credibility
Your site’s trustworthiness will increase if you use accepted web standards. In other words, it strengthens the credibility of your website. And if your goal is to create the finest possible website for your visitors, credibility is essential. Being open and honest about the features and benefits of what you’re offering goes a long way towards establishing trust. You shouldn’t make people sift through dozens of pages to figure out what you’re about. Put some effort into describing the benefits of your work right away on your homepage. Including a link to your prices on the site is a nice touch that adds legitimacy to your business. If consumers want to know what things cost, they shouldn’t have to contact you to find out. This will lend credibility and authenticity to your company.
9. Usability
Usability and user experience ultimately depend on what the target audience wants. After all, who else are you making this for if not them? While it’s true that following these guidelines will help you create a better website, the ultimate secret to success lies in putting what you learn through user testing and feedback to use. Also, you shouldn’t rely on your own usability testing. You have a lot of emotional investment in this design because you worked hard on it. Find those who are as unfamiliar with your site as a brand new visitor would be.
