Web design is a constantly evolving art. If you want to stay on the cutting edge, you need to be constantly aware of the latest technological developments and what other designers are doing. It has never been easier for designers to stay on top of the latest trends and developments. If you want to create a high-end website, all you have to do is pay attention to some of the fundamental design components of your website.
In this article we will reveal four essential tips to keep your web design skills up to date. We will point you in the right direction so that you can implement these tips on your next project.
1. Webdesign: Focus on usability
When it comes to designing your website, most people focus on making things look good. While this is not necessarily a bad approach, it is not the best one either. Ideally, every web page should be both attractive and easy to use.
Focusing entirely on style may seem like a good idea, especially when it comes to a visual area such as web design, but here’s why it’s wrong:
Focusing on style, on usability can lead you to make bad structural decisions, making it difficult for users to find what they are looking for.
If your users don’t have a good experience, they are less likely to return to your site.
If your website looks attractive, but complicated to use, people may walk away from it (resulting in a higher bounce rate).
The key to a great website is to make it attractive. To maximize ease of use, you can start by focusing on building a better browsing experience. This means keeping your layouts simple and making sure your site doesn’t include any unnecessary content.
2. Choose the typography Typography is much more than just text.
Indeed, it is considered an art form. With this in mind, determining which fonts to use and how to use them is crucial. They must be easy to read and fit perfectly with your corporate image. For example, a simple sans serif font fits a website that preaches minimalism.
The perfect font can mean the difference between readers who choose to skip your content and go through it. This may seem like an exaggeration, but when it comes to website design, it is essential to make things as easy to digest as possible.
In addition to improving the readability of your site, the right font can also help you stand out from your competition. In addition, the fonts you choose should fit well with the overall design of your site to create a consistent brand image. For example, you probably shouldn’t expect a tech-focus blog to use gothic fonts.
Fortunately, there are tons of resources available to get you started. There are also font guides to help you combine two fonts that can complement each other. If you feel really ambitious, you might even be able to create your own.
3. Optimize for mobile devices
You are probably aware that mobile devices have never been more popular. The first mobile design targets these mobile users by ensuring that your website provides them with a great browsing experience.
Ignoring mobile sensitivities may seem like a small oversight if you’re new to web design, but it’s actually a costly mistake. Here are the two main reasons:
- Mobile devices actually represent more traffic than desktop computers these days. Mobile users are your new main audience.
- Most people spend more time on their smartphones or tablets than on PCs. This means that it is essential for you to adjust the design of your website to their needs.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced web designer, you can currently view the design from an initial desktop perspective, so the change could be awkward. However, adapting to this new paradigm is not necessarily as difficult.
If you’re dealing with an existing site, the key is to test each of your designs for responsiveness. This means making sure your content is readable on the smallest screens. Also make sure your menus are easy to find. If you’re using a platform such as WordPress, choosing the right theme can help you solve most of these problems quickly.
If you’re starting from scratch, there are some excellent guides available that describe exactly how to take a mobile approach. It’s basically a matter of designing all your content for the smallest screen first, before you expand it. It’s just the opposite of the leading traditional approaches, which involves designing the first screen first.
- Use a style guide
There are no universal standards for what constitutes good web design. However, most of us can agree on a few guidelines, such as the ones we described earlier. In the same vein, many organizations have recently come up with their own design guidelines or style guides, such as Google Materials Design.
If you are struggling to adapt your website to modern web design standards, using a style guide might just be the solution. Here’s why:
- They usually take into account all the modern elements of webdesign and show you how to implement them properly.
- Keeping up with the latest trends can make your website more professional.
In addition to Google’s material design, there are many style guides that you can consult for more advice on how to design your web project. Two of our favorite examples are the Mozilla Style Guide and the MailChimp UX Guide.
The best part is, if you use a style guide created by industry leaders such as the two above, your designs are required to meet modern standards. Don’t forget to add your own nuances here and there so you don’t end up with a design that looks like someone else’s.
Conclusion
Being a webdesigner is much easier than it was back then. By using the advice we have provided you with, you will be able to offer your customers a better experience. Let’s remind them quickly:
- Focus on user-friendliness
- Choose the right typography
- Optimize for mobile devices
- Use a style guide
Ready to start designing your website?
