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What Is Web Design?
Web design is a process that involves planning, conceptualizing, and arranging online content. Designing a website today goes beyond aesthetics and includes the overall functionality of the website.
Web design includes mobile apps, web apps, and user interface designs.
Did you know web design significantly impacts how well your website performs in search engines such as Google? This article will provide you with some valuable tips on how to design a website that is attractive, functions correctly, and ranks high in search.
How To Choose A Web Design Tool
You can design a site using a desktop application or website builder. Your choice of tool will depend on your team's size, budget, and technical requirements.
Desktop Apps
Desktop apps are designed by designers who send their designs to the development team, which can convert them into code.
Photoshop and Sketch are the most popular desktop applications for creating websites.
This is the norm for large or complex websites, as it allows the designer to concentrate on the look and feel of the site.
At the same time, the technical challenges can be handed over to the development team. This process is expensive and takes time because it requires multiple resources and skills. It is better to avoid hiring a developer to create a website with fewer technical requirements.
Website Builders
Many website builders are available today, offering a variety of features and services. Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow are popular website builders with varying design capabilities, templates, prices, and editing experiences.
Do your research and try out free trials to determine the platform best suits your website's needs.
These website builders offer different experiences when it comes to building websites. Below, we will discuss these concepts in greater detail so that you can better understand which builders are right for you.
It is essential to understand the limitations and freedoms of different website builders if you need to learn how to code. Wordpress, for example, is the most popular website platform. Still, it could be more popular among visual designers due to its limited customization features.
Determine your website requirements before you begin building one. Are you creating an online photo gallery? How often will your website be updated? Do you require a contact page? Select a website creator that will help you achieve your goals.
Web Design Elements
It is essential to consider both the appearance and functionality of a site when designing it. These elements are necessary for the overall performance and usability of a website.
Usability of your site includes features such as an intuitive interface, graphics, images, and text that are well written and placed and a color palette. Your site's performance is measured by its speed, ranking, and searchability.
Visual Elements
Here is a quick guide to the main elements you must consider when designing your website. Each section contains tips and tricks that will help you get going.
Written Copy: The appearance of your website and its text are fundamentally linked. To create a cohesive design with balanced elements, it's crucial to get your designers and content writers to work together.
Text blocks and chunks are the best way to complement your graphics and imagery.
Fonts: Choose a typeface that compliments your design. The font should complement your website's color scheme, graphics, and images.
It should also strengthen its overall tone. Canva's Font Combinator is a great tool to help you match your font. Many web design apps include font combinations.
Colors: When designing a site, colors are fundamental. There are a lot of things that need to be clarified regarding the psychology of colors.
Choosing colors that complement your website design and tone is essential. Your color scheme should reflect your brand and convey the message you wish to send to your audience.
Layout: The layout of your content can have a significant impact on the usability and function of your website.
When choosing a structure, there are no rules, but you should consider a few fundamental principles. Consider the audience you are targeting and avoid a too stimulating layout. This could distract from the message.
Shapes: Using graphic elements can seamlessly integrate text with images and improve the overall appearance of a site.
Combining colors and shapes will help draw visitors' attention to your website and improve its overall flow.
Spacing: The use of space is essential to the creation of visually appealing and easily navigable websites.
Every element of your design incorporates spacing. Using whitespace will help you create an arrangement that perfectly balances text, graphics, and photos. Consistent spacing can make it easier for your visitors to navigate your site.
Modern web designers are very conscious of the importance of whitespace.
Images & Icons: Unique designs can convey a great deal of information in just a few moments.
Using influential icons and images makes this possible. Select images and icons to support and reinforce your message. You can find thousands of photos and icons by quickly searching for a Google image.
Videos: Designers are increasingly integrating videos into their web designs. Videos can help users understand or experience a message in a way that text and images cannot.
Remember that, just like a TV in a restaurant will draw attention to moving images. Ensure your videos do not compete with other elements or distract from them.
Functional Elements
When designing your website, you must take into account these functional elements. Your website must function correctly to rank highly in search engines and give users the best experience.
Navigation: Your website's navigation will determine whether or not it is working correctly.
Your navigation can have multiple functions depending on who you are targeting: it can help first-time visitors learn what your website has to offer, give easy access to pages for return visitors, and improve the overall experience of every visitor.
User Interfaces: You can give your visitors multiple ways to interact with your website depending on their devilling down, clicking, typing, etc.).
These interactions should be made simple to make the user feel in control. Here are some examples:
- Never play audio or video on autoplay.
- All forms should be mobile-friendly.
- Avoid pop-ups.
- Avoid scroll-jacking.
Animations: Web animations help your design catch the attention of your visitors and encourage them to give feedback.
Additions such as "like" buttons and forms can engage your visitors. Keep your animations simple if you are new to web design and want to avoid developer involvement.
Speed: Slow websites are disliked by everyone. A maximum of a few seconds to load a page can discourage visitors from returning or staying on your website.
If your site does not load quickly, no matter how attractive, it will perform poorly in search results (i.e., Google will not rank your site highly). There are no guarantees—research which site builders are best suited to the content that you plan to have on your website.
Site Structure: A website's structure is essential for user experience (UX) and search engine optimization.
Users should be able to navigate your website easily without any structural problems. It's likely that "crawlers," too, are lost when navigating your website. Crawlers (or bots) are automated programs that search through your site and determine its functionality.
Poor navigation can result in a bad user experience and a low ranking for your site.
Cross-Browser & Cross-Device Compatibility: A great design will look good on all devices and web browsers, including Internet Explorer.
We recommend a cross-browser testing tool if you build the website from scratch. This will make the tedious and time-consuming process much faster. If you use a website building platform, cross-browser tests are typically handled by the Website development company development team so that you can focus on the design.
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Adaptive And Responsive Website Design Responsive
Understanding the pros of adaptive and responsive sites will help you decide which website builder fits your needs.
Many articles on the internet discuss different styles of website design (fixed, static, or fluid). In today's mobile world, you can only use two types of website design to create a proper website: responsive and adaptive.
Adaptive Websites
Adaptive web design involves creating two or more versions tailored to specific screen sizes. The two main categories of adaptive websites are based on how they detect the size that needs to be shown:
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Adapts To Device Type: The HTTP request from your browser will contain a field named "user-agent," which will tell the server what type of device is trying to access the page.
The adaptive website knows what version to display depending on the machine trying to access it (i.e., desktop, mobile, tablet).
If you shrink the window of a desktop browser, the page will not shrink to the new size but will display the "desktop" version.
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Adapts To Browser Width: The website switches between versions using media queries instead of the "user agent." Media queries are a CSS feature that allows a page to be adapted to different screen sizes.
Breakpoints are specific width sizes.
Instead of having desktop, tablet, and mobile versions, you'll have 1080px and 768px widths.
It allows for more design flexibility and provides a better user experience, as the website will adjust to fit any screen size.
Pros
- What you see is exactly what you get (WYSIWYG) editing.
- It is faster and easier to create custom designs without code.
- Compatibility across browsers and devices.
- Pages that load quickly.
Cons
- Websites that use the "device type" may look broken when viewed on a desktop computer.
- Only responsive sites can achieve specific effects.
Responsive Websites
Responsive sites can use flexible grid layouts based on how much space each element occupies in the container. For example, if a component (e.g., A header that occupies 25% of the container will remain at 25%, no matter how much the screen changes.
Breakpoints can be used by responsive websites to create custom looks for every screen size. However, unlike adaptive websites that only adapt when they reach a breakpoint (as with adaptive websites), responsive websites constantly change according to screen size.
Pros
- Enjoy the same great experience on any screen size regardless of device type.
- The design of responsive website builders is usually rigid, making it difficult to "break."
- There are many templates available to choose from.
Cons
- When starting from scratch, it is necessary to conduct extensive testing and design to ensure quality.
- Custom designs are only possible to create with the code.
Website builders can have both adaptive and responsive options.
E-commerce
E-commerce sites are an integral part of web design. Creating an online store that is user-friendly and informative is essential.
It accurately displays products to give your customers the best shopping experience.
Here Are Ten Tips To Help You Design Your Website
- User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are the cornerstones of modern website design.
This reduces bounce rates and promotes leads and converts.
- It may sound great, but if it is implemented into your website, it could retain its appeal.
Ensure your content is easily understood and contains only a few words.
The USPs should be highlighted in the design.
Keep only the most critical words on each page.
- The second point is choosing the correct font.
Many people need to pay more attention to the importance of typography in website design.
It may seem obvious, but you will often like a website design because of its appropriate typography.
Everything depends on the type of website you're building.
Make sure to tell your web design agency to highlight font selection.
- DRefrain from bombarding your visitors with pop-ups asking them to sign up for your newsletter.
It should be visible on the site so that users can see it.
- If they're optional, don't overload your website with redundant badges and dynamic boxes.
A simple and clean User Interface will encourage longer browsing times.
- CSS is better than HTML tables.
- You should not allow user A to access site B if you are going to conduct A/B testing.
Although this seems obvious, there have been times when the sites needed to be separated optimally.
- Pop-up windows are no longer necessary.
You can integrate all information from a website page in a different way.
- Websites should have a call-to-action as their primary objective.
It should be prominently placed without compromising your design.
Websites will place it at the top of their pages, making it bulky, tacky and too important.
It can be incorporated in various ways without losing its importance to the user.
- To reduce load times, ensure all links are visible from within the pages.
Where Can You Find Your First Designer?
The majority of the designer's works are presented to customers, so they will have a significant impact on the perceptions that the customer has towards the brand.
You must ensure that the graphic designer you hire is the best you can find, especially for your first hire. You may only need one or two graphic designers on your team. It would be best if you chose those aligned with your business's goals to ensure that your message is best communicated.
Here's how to find designers who will add value to your business:
There Are Different Types Of Designers
Graphic designers are not one-size-fits-all. Determining the type of designer you require for your business is essential.
Do you need illustrations or help with typography? Do you want someone who is a web designer or can also create great social media content for you? Designers are not only creative but also have a specialization. Knowing what skills you need now will help you narrow down the pool of applicants since there are many. Choosing a designer with the skills you require to achieve your goals is essential.
Decide On Your Design Needs
How many designers will you need? You must know all the details of your project to determine how many designers will be needed to complete it.
If you have a design budget, this is crucial. Hiring an agency can be a good option if you believe a single designer cannot complete all tasks within the specified time frame.
It is more cost-effective than hiring a designer to work by the hour.
Consider how often you'll need a designer. Will you still need a designer after launching your campaign or website? A freelancer on call will be better if you don't need the services.
You also have to take into account the growth of your business. If you need a designer for every marketing campaign, it might be necessary to Hire website designer.
A designer with a flair for illustrations, especially now that social media is so popular will give you an edge over your competitors.
Create A Clear Job Description
Who are the qualified candidates for this job? It is essential to have a well-written job description to find the right graphic designer for your business.
It should include all the roles a designer must play to meet your team's goals. The designer's duties and responsibilities must be described in detail. The job description must include the skills and abilities required for the position.
It is a collection of information necessary for a place to be classified.
It would be best to tailor your graphic designer job description to meet your needs. The report should be realistic and reflect the work that is required.
You can specify, for example, that the designer must conceptualize visuals according to the requirements you have set up. Clarifying the responsibilities will help you achieve the best possible results, which you can evaluate.
Designers, Communities, And Outsourcing Websites Are Great Places To Find A Job
Where can you find the best designer? You can use various recruiting strategies to find the best designer for your company.
Searching designer communities and outsourcing websites is one of the best ways to find designers. Online, many designers are advertising themselves. The designer communities are great for designers because they can show their work.
You can see their outputs and determine if they meet your criteria.
If you're looking for freelancers, outsourcing websites are a great option. These sites are top-rated among graphic designers because they are free to use.
These sites offer skill tests and other evaluations regarding job postings. You can find someone who can work as a graphic designer full-time or for a single project. You can trust these sites to help you find the best candidates.
Set A Competitive Salary/Compensation
A great designer will demand and expect a reasonable salary. The salary ranges of designers vary widely, so you need to consider your budget.
Consider how much you would pay to hire a full-time or freelancer at your location before posting a job. Designers in the United States earn, on average, $51,719 a year, or $19.17 an hour approx.
UX designers earn up to $85,000 approx, while graphic designers earn as much as $43,000 approx. It is essential to research how much to pay your designer, as it's your job to pay them for their work.
It is important to remember that a good design can be an asset for your company, but it will cost you.
How To Conduct Job Interviews
Which questions should candidates be asked? In the hiring process, interviews are essential because they help determine which candidates are best suited to the position.
You can also see the type of designer that they are. You can observe their communication skills when you interview designers. Communication is crucial to any team's success.
Hiring someone who has difficulty working with others would be a disaster.
You can also talk about a range of topics relating to the qualities of a great designer. For example, you could discuss current design trends, techniques and methods, your creative thinking processes, how you prioritize tasks, and so on.
Interviews have no specific roles, but you should aim to determine whether the candidate can do the job and if they can be seen as someone who could contribute to your company's success.
Consider Smaller Projects As A Paid Trial
Asking them to produce a sample of their work is an excellent way to gauge their abilities. It's best to choose something you could use yourself.
This differs from looking at portfolios, where the designer already has designs to show potential employers. You can know their capabilities by asking them to do a small job. It is only fair to compensate them for their time since it has worked on a design without compensation.
After it would be unfair to the interview, you can determine if the candidate is the right fit to improve the company.
Hire Slow, Fire Fast
It can be helpful to have someone on hand to assist with deadlines. However, looking at the big picture and considering how this decision will affect your business is essential.
Only those designers who are the best fit for your business will be helpful in the long term. It would be best if you spent time determining which candidate will best communicate the message of your company and with the team.
In the same vein, do not hesitate to dismiss a designer who cannot meet the requirements of the position or has exhibited an attitude that could negatively impact the team.
Everyone can be effective in their work only with the right skills and a great team dynamic.
Make An Offer To The Most Qualified Candidate
After completing all interviews and testing their abilities, you must choose the best candidate for your business.
You may be stuck between two or more qualified candidates. Consider which candidate best fits your needs or those of the company. Make an offer after you have chosen the candidate who seems most promising.
Writing a formal job offer is logical as it will make an excellent first impression. This letter formalizes all the discussions that took place during the hiring process. The two parties can work together confidently and towards the same goal.
New Hire Onboarding
After your candidate accepts your job offer, the next step is to integrate the new employee into your organization.
A smooth start is essential to ensure the new employee fits well with the team. You can assist by providing an overview of how your organization operates. Consider including administrative issues like payroll or benefits.
Introduce him to other members of the design staff or the entire company. You should also help the designer set up their workspace to ensure they feel comfortable in the new environment.
The same onboarding can be done virtually, taking into account those who will work remotely. You can arrange an online meeting or virtual orientation with the team members and other company personnel.
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Conclusion
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