Dos and Don’ts of Web Design
AI generated image
Introduction:
There are many steps involved when starting to design a website. To get the most effective and user-friendly experience for your users takes time and knowledge of what works the best. The most important thing in web design is the users and their experience and sometimes that can be forgotten. In this blog, I will be discussing the dos and don’ts of web design.
Things to Consider:
There are many different things to consider when starting to create a website. There is website layout, typography, the content, the whitespace, the navigation, images, backgrounds, etc. Overall, simplicity in web design is key. You don’t want to confuse the user by doing things they may not recognize or are too out of the norm.
Dos and Don’t’s:
For the layout, you want to make sure that the priority is user-friendliness and using common design elements. There is a reason that many websites use similar layouts because it is the standard that your user will know the best. You might think that it isn’t being original or creative enough, but there are other ways to make your website stand out without straying too far from the layout standard. Users will not want to stay on your website if they cannot figure out how to navigate it correctly or if it is too complicated.
For the content of your website, you want to not put too much type or information in one place. People will not want to read long, drawn-out paragraphs. Space it out and make it intriguing to the user. That being said, you also don’t want to make the content too vague that the user doesn’t understand what they are reading, find the middle ground.
When adding whitespace to your website, you want to make sure there is enough room on the edges of the page, so it doesn’t overwhelm the user with content that goes all the way to the edge of the screen. You also want each element to have its own spotlight and is distinguishable from other elements. White space can ease the mind and break up information to not stress the reader out. Again, on the other hand, too much white space isn’t a great thing either.
Next, when working on your navigation, you always want to use words that are used commonly and are familiar to the user, like “home” or “about.” You also want to make sure the navigation can be found easily and easy to understand.
Finally, with images, you want to make sure you resize them correctly so they don’t show up pixelated, blurry, or will take too long to load. You can add captions under your images to add information or add context to why they are there.
Conclusion:
To sum it all up about what to do and what not to do in web design, paying attention to small details is super important for making a website successful. If designers think about what users want, keep things simple, and make everything look the same throughout the site, it helps visitors have a good user experience browsing around. Also, making sure the website is simple and effective enough to keep people interested and coming back for more.
Hello! I’m Bridget Feldman
I am a graphic and interactive designer with an interest in public relations. I live around the Boston, Massachusetts area and would love to connect!