It is the 21st century, and the Internet of Things has taken over everything. From booking your cab to office, or ordering in your morning cup of joe – the web world has become an indispensable part of our lives. And with that, the need for websites has increased remarkably too. While the job of designing a website may seem easy, you need to understand that it goes beyond just the functionalities. To keep the visitors coming in, you need to make it look its aesthetic best, and for that, you need to go with the appropriate colour palette, font, and layout for your website.
So I have come up with the ultimate list of web designing essentials that incorporates all the major trends of 2019. Let's unravel the secret together!
10 Tips That Every Web Designer Should Master
Irrespective of being a novice or an experienced web designer, these new tips are sure to be helpful for you.
- Design off-screen first: Rather than creating code and designs on the screen first, try designing on paper so that you can save yourself all the time that is wasted in editing and cleaning unwanted things later. Putting the layout that you have in mind on a whiteboard will help you figure things more easily and help you have a clear idea of the site first. Use a paper to jot down the specific elements that you want in the webpage and decide their positions by drawing them out.
- Soothing Colour Palette: While 2018 was the year for color splash, things have taken a 360-degree turn in 2019. 63% of visitors tend to leave a site if they feel that the color is too much to take. That is why you must design on a grey-scale first and then add hue to the elements within the layout gradually. While designing a website, remember to opt for a layout and a scheme that is unique and visually aesthetic. Also, do not experiment too much with color and keep it as simple as possible.
- Easy-to-use Navigation:Remember: the simpler the navigation, the better it is. A website that has many layers is usually complicated to use, which in turn brings less traffic to the site. According to a survey, web pages, which loaded in 2.4 seconds, experienced great mobile conversation rate of 1.9%. So, use more straightforward layouts for the website that has minimal navigation. Make it a point to use as few drop-down menus as possible. Keep in mind that the menu links on the website page should include just the vital items that the visitors mostly use – the About page, the Home page and the Contact page
- A Clean Layout: A lucid and straightforward layout is crucial for a good website. So go for a design that does not look too crowded. You should also avoid using too many search boxes or buttons. And yes! Flashy banners and complicated graphics are a strict no-no, and you should not use sliding carousels either. Shadows are in this year, and most notable designers are using grids and parallel layouts to play with shadows to create depth and an illusion.
- Easy-to-understand Font: 40% of people will switch to a different search result if the first one is not mobile-friendly. Make sure that the size is not too small so that the viewer does not have to zoom in to read what is written. Use fonts that are prominent for the headings and important blocks so that it grabs the viewer's attention. Some of the fonts that you can consider using on a web layout are Calibri, Arial, Cambria and Times New Roman.
- Using Phase-out sliders: Be it sidebars or the sliders – if you are using them, make sure you phase them out in the webpage so that the number of distractions on your site is minimum. This way, it will be easier for users to navigate through the website. For the home page, it is better if you opt for a large header space. Use a unique and well-crafted design to define the brand. Make sure that you choose an icon that can be considered static.
- Minimal Content: Good content is the essence of a good website. So you must make sure that the content is aligned perfectly so that the website does not end up looking too clumsy. Keep in mind that a site that has a lot of material on it does not receive traffic. So, be minimal and opt for graphics instead of show content.
- Use The Space: A cluttered webpage can be quite distracting to the users and so you recommend you to use more space in the layout. Rather than trying to include multiple elements on a webpage, opt for a layout that leaves empty places within the site. This will help the viewer to focus on what is important. Although known as whitespace, it is not necessary that you keep the space white. Use subtle colors that are not too eye-catching to make it where a reader's attention should be focused more prominent.
- Mobile First: Mobile browsing has surpassed desktop, and that is precisely why you must make a website keeping mobile in mind first. So let go of the images and opt for icons to save space. Make sure you choose a layout that is responsive enough to fit into all kinds of screens – smartphones, notebooks as well as desktops or laptops. Make sure that the person viewing the site on a mobile does not face trouble with navigation.
- Custom Illustrations: Illustrations are being considered the next big thing by many famous website designers. To give your website the finesse, use images that are vibrant and playful. This helps mellow down the formal tone of a website and makes it friendlier in approach. 2019 is also being quoted the year for integrated animations. So move over from static images and start using animations to make a website more engaging. Use integrated animations and GIF files to make a site more fun.
With digital media occupying a significant place in our lives, a web designer has a vital role to play in this new wake of digitalization. Think about this – from Google to WhatsApp, from Amazon to Facebook – a good interface is quintessential nowadays. So it is necessary that as a web designer, you must be both creative as well as technically skilled. With the above tips, I am sure that you will be able to build a site that looks attractive and is highly functional at the same time.
So what are you waiting for? Go, break a leg! I know you are going to be amazing.
