If you look around the internet, you’ll see websites of every kind. You’ll see some which are well designed while others may look like they’ve been thrown together. Learning the website design principles that professionals use will help you create a website you’ll be proud to have people visit.
One important website design principle is ensuring your website is user friendly. Once your visitor makes it to your website, can they find their way around with ease? Place buttons and links where visitors expect them to be placed.
Guide the visitor’s eye to the most important information. Visitors to websites normally begin reading with the upper left hand side, similar to how someone reads a newspaper. Because of that, most websites have a logo or banner at the upper left top corner. How else can you guide the visitor’s eye?
• Position – Where items are placed on the page can show the importance of the content. Items placed at the top normally are more important than ones toward the bottom of the page.
• Color – Try using color changes, whether bold or subtle, to lead a visitor’s eye up or down the page.
• Contrast – Use contrast as a way to make items stand out. Bold or larger sized headlines, colored boxes or borders make content appear more prominent and draw your visitor’s eyes to something you’ve decided is important.
• Size – The larger the text is the more important the item will appear. This would also apply to other elements of design.
• Arrows or other design elements – If your visitor sees a large arrow pointing to text on the page, obviously they’ll look where the arrow is pointing.
Be consistent within your various website pages. How do you do this? Place navigation buttons in the same place and order on each page and maintain the location of graphics on each page despite the fact the images may change. Keeping the website pages looking the same will enable your visitor to become familiar with your site and provide a sense of continuity.
Place breadcrumb links or buttons on each page which allow visitors to go back to previously viewed pages. Visitors can retrace their steps on your page without having to search too much. Navigation buttons along the right or across the top are also popular.
Content is important on any website. Because of the size of computer screens, you’ll want to use short, concise sentences. Run on or long sentences make reading difficult and can send visitors in search of better content.
Allow plenty of white space in margins and between design elements. This means allowing for more line spacing and space around design elements to keep them from touching. Of course, if you’d prefer using something other than white, a color within the scheme of your page will work just as well.
Use a central theme throughout all pages on your website. Keep your color palette and layout the same and the theme consistent. Using the same font style and size on each page will help you maintain the look of your pages. Remember, you want your pages to look like they belong together.
Logical and systematic grouping of content will enable you to preserve the look of your website. Having similar content placed together will also make it easier for visitors to find the information they seek. Give each topic on your website a page of its own. This plan allows visitors to go directly to the information they are looking for rather than having to search for it.
Using some of these website design principles can help you create a website you’ll be proud to place on the internet. You’ll know visitors to your site will be able to navigate easily to find what they’re looking for. Visitor viewing can be directed towards the areas you deem most important which can turn web site readers into customers.
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