Web Design Principles Everyone Designer Should Know

The following are some web designing principles every designer should know and adopt. 

1. What Is the Purpose of the Website?

The role of a web designer goes far beyond writing code and declaring that the website is ready. As a web designer, you are responsible for presenting and highlighting a brand’s image and taking it closer to the users. Every tiny detail needs to be given full attention to clearly deliver the brand’s intent to the target audience.

The first step here is to know the purpose of the website. Why are you designing a website? What does the business owner want from it? Will it be used to share business information, or will it be an eCommerce site to order the products/ services?

Does the brand want to emphasize its best practices or values? The website design also depends on the nature of the brand (NGO, school, MNC, etc.)

2. How Useful Is the Website for the End User?

Though the visual appeal is vital, it is ultimately the website’s usability that needs to be considered. A website that’s useful to a user will have more traffic, and that’s the exact reason UX (user experience) and user-centric web designs have become a standard in the industry.

Certain features like the navigation tab, search box, dropdown list of products/ services, NAP details, social media links, etc., should be a part of every business website. For a non-profit organization, the usability of the website would be different. Visitors want to know how the organization helps the unfortunate, which projects it has worked on, affiliations, donation methods, voluntary services, etc.

You should know who the target audience is and understand what they want from the website, and deliver it.

3. What Kind of Content is Required and How Should It Be Presented?

What’s a website without content? Whether it is text, images, gifs, infographics, videos, or audio (podcasts), no website is complete without content. The theme of the content depends on the nature of the business. But a website designer should consider SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when designing the site.

It can be achieved by following the content-first approach to work with actual content rather than dummy text. It will allow you to see how the layout and themes can be tweaked to suit the content. It will reduce the number of edits and adjustments you’ll need to make to the site after uploading the actual content. The layout and presentation should be in sync with the tone of the content. Informal and friendly tone needs a lighthearted-type of design and so on.

4. Do You Know the Importance of Visuals?

Though visuals are a part of content, we’ll still tackle them as a separate point. Photos, gifs, graphics, and illustrations are eye-catchy elements that make a user say wow! or make them go eww!

The visuals should be perfectly aligned with the brand image and the nature of the business. If any celebrity endorses the brand, having their picture on the homepage will help visitors quickly identify and relate to the products/ services. A gaming website should be rich in graphics and HD visuals from the game so that the visitors would be tempted to buy the game or at least try the trial version.

The restaurant website needs to match the mood of the place so that visitors know what to expect when they visit the restaurant.

5. Which Color Scheme, Typography, and Theme Should You Choose?

Most brands have their colors included in the logo or the brochure. If it’s a new business, as a web designer, you can help them choose the color scheme and theme that suits the nature of the brand. By deciding these details in advance, you can match it with the content and create a layout where the webpage appears natural and in perfect harmony.

Right from the size of the CTA (Call to Action) buttons to their locations, the font, text size, text type, etc., should gel seamlessly. For example, when people visit an artist’s website, they expect calligraphy text, enticing visuals, and a good theme. What if they find a website with outdated font in long paragraphs and grainy pictures? The website should sell the business idea to the visitors.

6. How Will the User’s Focus Stay on the Website?

A website or a webpage should be self-explanatory. Users shouldn’t have to wonder what it is about. In fact, a web designer should ensure that the user scrolls through the site based on instinct and intuition rather than search and think. Don’t let the user think too hard. If they don’t find what they are looking for, users will lose patience and exit the site.

The website’s structure should be neat and clear. The users should know where to find links to other web pages, find the chat option, and place an order. If you have anything to offer for free, make it as easy as possible. People don’t want to fill lengthy forms to give your product/ service a try. Keep it simple.

7. Why are Simplicity and White Space Good on a Website?

Intricate patterns look good in architecture and crochet. Do the same to a website, and it’ll look like a maze of mess. The web pages do not have to be filled from top to bottom with text and images. Leave out enough white space (background) to let users breathe and process the information provided until then.

The text should be a combination of subheadings, small paragraphs, and bullets. Most visitors skim through the text and don’t really read it (unless the website is a personal blog). Consider the reader’s attention span and comprehension levels.

You should also ensure that the website is print-friendly. Some users like to print the webpage and then read it. Stuffing the page with too much text or too many images will not be helpful.

8. Why Is Authenticity a Hit with the Users?

One of the main rules of designing a website is to stay true to the brand’s values or the organization. Users like honesty and authenticity. They want brands to tell them exactly what’s on offer and what’s not.

Relying on clichés and overused marketing tropes will only cause the users to lose interest in the brand. Right from what the products/ services can offer to testimonials, keep it real and genuine. For example, if you say that the brand’s products use natural ingredients, mentioning the source will add more authenticity to the claim. A couple of pictures from the source will be the icing on the cake. Otherwise, it’ll be just another brand trying to milk the natural/ organic trend without credibility. As a web designer, you should help the business prove its authenticity.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to test the website at different stages of development. The sooner you catch the errors, the easier it’ll be to fix them. Also, try again after you fix an error. You’ve got to be sure that the glitch has been removed, right? A great website is designed using patience, understanding, creativity, content, and authenticity.