The website design process involves the planning, ideation, conceptualization, and setup of content that is intended to be displayed on the internet. While it may seem like website design refers purely to the visual design of a website, it actually includes the design of the User Experience as well, where you take into account how the website is used by your visitors. In this short guide, we will cover the various elements that go into designing your online presence.
How to design a website?
Website design is both about graphic design and functionality, and when the two come together, you not only increase the quality of the User Experience, you can actually increase your Google Rank. A well designed website is an SEO-friendly website.
Visual elements
A beautiful website will do wonders for your brand identity, increase your conversion rate, and increase your website traffic. There are several elements that come together in visual design.
One of the more subtle elements of a website’s look are the fonts. When it comes to fonts, you want to first of all make sure that they are easy-to-read. Then, if you use several different font styles on your website, you have to make sure that they complement each other. For this, you can use a tool such as Canva’s Font Combinator to find the right match.
Colors are also a very important element, that will have an impact on how each site visitor feels. Different colors evoke different emotions, and like fonts, you have colors that complement each other. When you add different shapes and shape combinations into the mix, your custom website can truly stand out.
Your website visitors will also appreciate if you have good images and icons. There are plenty of resources available for stock images, and we have a full guide on our website that can help you out here. Make sure that you get both large and small versions of any image you find so that they display correctly on mobile devices.
Functional elements
Functional elements make up the bulk of the User Experience. Here, you will need to use JavaScript, or add-ons if you are working with a content management system such as WordPress. Alternatively, you can use a website builder such as Squarespace which is the most accessible option when building a website. The web design company you hire for the project will likely use a combination of JavaScript, PHP and WordPress add-ons to add functionality to the site.
Functional elements that make up the User Experience include the website’s navigation system, loading speed, animations, structure, interactions and compatibility with mobile devices. Several of these elements will also play an important part in your site’s search engine optimization.
Adaptive vs. responsive design
Your website visitors will use different devices to browse your website, and there are two design types that can help you address this – adaptive and responsive design. Either one will make your website mobile friendly.
There are two types of adaptive design – one based on the type of the device used, and one based on the width of the browser. The first version will detect the type of the device that is used to access the website and adapt to it. It is a decent solution. However, if the website is accessed through a desktop device, and the visitor changes the width of the browser, the page may not display properly. With the second version, your designer will set up several break points based on the display width of the browser, and these break points match various screen sizes. This will allow for proper display on desktop devices when the web browser is shrinked.
Responsive design is similar to the second version of the adaptive design style, but it is much more precise. A responsive website is built using flexible grids that are defined in percentages of the screen, so as you change the screen size, the grid adapts in a much more natural manner, greatly improving the User Experience. However, the downside of this design style is that it is more labor intensive because it requires more testing.
Are you interested in working with a web design company?
While building a website with Squarespace can be accessible, the website will not have all the visual and functional elements needed for an excellent User Experience. With the right functional and graphic design however, your website will be perfectly suited for internet marketing, being able to generate a high conversion rate. If you are interested in a professionally built website for your company, contact us today.
