To be great at web design, there is a line that you have to follow. There are some principles and ideas that you need to understand before jumping into the world of web design. In this blog, we will talk about the most important fundamentals of web design. Web design is a highly individual process. To create truly unique and impactful compositions, designers must let go of their preconceived notions about how a website should look. Instead, they must let their brand values, audience, and point of difference be their true north, guiding them throughout the whole design process.
However, while the design is all about breaking the rules and creating your own, there are a few failsafe web design principles all designers should keep in mind. These tried-and-tested guidelines are paramount for creating polished and functional websites that engage your audience.
The Importance of High-Quality Web Design
Designers are compensated reasonably well for a good reason: their work is key. When a new lead visits your website, it sets the first impression that shapes their future interactions with your brand. It is at this point that they develop their first opinion about you. Your website also conveys your brand’s identity, vision, and position within your niche. If you have close competitors with a similar product, a website that makes people say drawn to it will make you more memorable and boost your brand awareness above the competition.
Moreover, a strong website can improve your search engine optimization efforts. Search engines consider how people respond to websites when ranking them in search results. If your bounce rate is low and people frequently visit multiple pages on your site, search engines will likely rank you higher than a competitor with a high bounce rate. That is why web design cannot be overlooked.
6 Fundamentals of Web Design
Now that we have established why web design is so relevant to any line of business, we can proceed to name the most essential principles of the job, the must-follow rules if you want to start producing outstanding work.
1. Easy to Navigate Pages
Website navigation is one of the most important website features, undoubtedly, and it is no surprise why. Suppose that a search engine user comes to your website looking for information on “mobile design” and cannot find it, the natural next step is to click “back” and try another website. Then you might ask yourself how to embrace well-planned navigation.
Well, the website’s layout has to be extremely clear, to start with. For instance, you should be able to navigate to key product sections using the buttons on the left-hand side, and you can navigate to the “about” and “contact” pages using the buttons on the right. That is the most relevant aspect.
2. Readable and Web-Friendly Fonts
The role of typography in web design cannot be understated. Using the right fonts displays your brand personality and immediately grabs your audience’s attention. Nonetheless, it is not just about looking good. The typefaces you use in your web design also need to be functional and readable. After all, if the user has to squint just to see your text, they are likely going to struggle to connect with your message. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, and Courier New are all examples of web-friendly fonts. This means they maintain legibility at any size and work well across both mobile and desktop.
3. Leverage Negative Space
Negative space is the region around the subjects of a page, whether they be images, videos, text, or buttons. Many energetic marketers rush to fill every free space on a page, hoping that giving visitors more information will get them more engaged. Yet, this often results in overwhelming and confusing pages. That is where negative space comes in. Using this kind of space emphasizes the most critical elements of each page, as the lack of color draws the visitor’s eyes to brighter areas. You can leverage space using your brand colors, for example.
4. Consistent and Engaging Pages
When you read brand names like “Cadbury” or “Nike”, the vision of their logos, fonts, and design styles likely comes to mind immediately. That is the power of consistent branding. When designing your website, craft pages with consistent elements to give your brand a clear visual identity. That means using the same fonts, styles, and colors across headers, keeping spaces between visual elements the same between pages, and using color palettes instead of random colors. Furthermore, it also means getting layout guidelines for long-form content like news pieces and blog posts and using a website template for all pages. Consistent pages do not need to look completely uniform. Instead, you can balance consistency and engagement by mixing up elements.
5. Complementary Color Palette
The color palette you use sets the mood of your web design. For instance, using lots of dark browns and blacks can create a rustic, moody feel, while pastel colors can look quite playful and modern. Whatever vibe you go for, it is meaningful to make sure the colors you use work well together. Sometimes, this means sticking to similar shades but opposites can also attract. Whether you go for colors that are opposite or next to each other on the color wheel, you want them to be complementary. You can use many different colors and still create a visually appealing website.
6. Think as if You Were the Audience
Top designers know that it is not just about creating a website that they think looks good. To really create a website that cuts through the noise online, they must speak directly to their audience through design. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask yourself what their biggest needs, desires, and fears are. This should dictate your design choices, from the fonts and colors you use to your button text and website navigation.
Bottom Line
Be certain that if you follow these web design guidelines, you will start noticing the improvement in your work any time soon.
