10 Principles of Effective Web Design

The web is a constantly evolving medium, and it's important to stay up to date with the latest trends and techniques in order to create an effective website. Good web design is essential for any business, as it helps to attract customers and keep them engaged. There are several principles that should be followed when designing a website, such as purpose, contrast, visuals, simplicity, color, typography, navigation, visual hierarchy, speed and creativity. Designate a clear purpose.

Each well-designed website meets the needs of its users. Even if every aspect of your site has a clear purpose, if it takes too long to load, then it's almost useless for the user. A dramatic change in the color or size of an element will reflect that something needs more attention. Contrast plays a key role in the development of designs and visual hierarchies.

The average attention span of Internet users has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds now. This means that your site has less than 8 seconds to capture the attention of visitors and retain them. Using relevant, engaging, high-quality images and other visual elements is the only way you can get your visitors to stay and understand your message in a creative way. Effective web design turns complex stories into simple and engaging images. Make sure that the images you use convey the right message quickly and concisely.

An effective website design must fulfill its intended function by conveying your particular message while at the same time engaging the visitor. Several factors, such as consistency, colors, typography, images, simplicity and functionality, contribute to good website design. Simplicity is the best way to do it when you consider the user experience and the usability of your website. Below are ways to achieve simplicity by designing. Color has the power to communicate messages and evoke emotional responses. Finding a color palette that fits your brand will allow you to influence the behavior of your customers towards your brand.

Keep color selection limited to less than 5 colors. Pleasant color combinations increase customer engagement and make the user feel good. Typography has an important role to play on your website. It attracts attention and works like the visual interpretation of the brand's voice. Fonts must be legible and use only a maximum of 3 different fonts on the website. Navigation is the guidance system used on websites where visitors interact and find what they are looking for.

Website navigation is key to retaining visitors. If website navigation is confusing, visitors will give up and find what they need somewhere else. Keeping navigation simple, intuitive and consistent on every page is key. The visual hierarchy is the arrangement of elements in order of importance. This is done by size, color, images, contrast, typography, white space, texture and style.

One of the most important functions of visual hierarchy is to establish a focal point; this shows visitors where the most important information is located. Waiting for a website to load will lose visitors. Nearly half of web visitors expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less, and potentially leave a site that isn't loaded in 3 seconds. Optimizing image size will help your site load faster. Of course, there are more things you should keep in mind when developing your website, but these 10 principles for effective web design are a good start. Just like the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, effective web design is judged by website users and not by website owners. There are many factors that affect the usability of a website, and it's not just about the form (how good it looks), but also about the function (how easy it is to use).

Websites that aren't well-designed tend to perform poorly and have Google Analytics metrics that aren't optimal (e.g.).So what makes good web design? Below we explore 10 principles of web design that will make your website aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, attractive and effective. A good web design always adapts to the user's needs. Are visitors to your website looking for information, entertainment, some kind of interaction or transacting with your business? Each page of your website must have a clear purpose and meet a specific need of your website users in the most effective way possible. In general Sans Serif fonts like Arial and Verdana are easier to read online (Sans Serif fonts are contemporary looking fonts with no decorative finishes). The ideal font size for easy reading online is 16px and stick to a maximum of 3 fonts at a maximum of 3 points to keep your design optimized. Easily one of the most important principles in web design, visual hierarchy is the arrangement of important elements. As you can see in the image above, your eyes spend more time at the top right intersection and that's where critical content is placed.

Whether you do it intentionally or not, the rule of thirds is always in effect. The design laws of Gestalt are a set of principles devised by German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler that describe how human eyes perceive elements. The name “Gestalt” which in English means “unified whole” was derived from their findings that mind informs what eye sees by perceiving series of individual elements as whole. Alignment creates sharper and tidier design. Aligning elements allows them to create visual connection with each other; it tightens design and eliminates messy effect that occurs when items are placed randomly. Web design can be hugely creative industry; there's plenty room take design on unexpected paths following innovative desire push limits; that said web design can also be very goal-oriented which means this creativity isn't blindly put on web people experience whatever purpose. A few weeks ago we introduced 10 Principles Of Effective Web Design comprehensive article on effective web design provided you with information how users really think as well as some examples how effective designs can be achieved. Keep in mind you may be interested 30 usability issues explain important usability issues terms rules principles usually forgotten ignored or misunderstood over time...

Gloria Foulke
Gloria Foulke

Wannabe twitter lover. Freelance social media maven. Friendly twitter nerd. Hipster-friendly zombie advocate. Avid zombie practitioner. Amateur baconaholic.