There's a tricky thing about web design - on the one hand, it's an art form that's partly based on ancient teachings , as old as humanity itself.
On the other hand, it is a discipline driven by innovation , constantly coming up with new developments, while advancing technology also has a say in the background.
To avoid losing the thread (or nerves) as a layperson in the thicket of millennia-old fusion data color theories, the equally new principles of aesthetics, and the basics of desktop web design, you can, with a clear conscience, follow our top 10 tips for successful web design .
Tip 1: The visual hierarchy
As a basis for a user-friendly website, attention should be paid to the so-called visual hierarchy .
The different elements of the website are arranged in a comprehensible structure and sorted by priority .
This sorting gives users a direction of view and allows them to guide them schematically through the website and its design.
Since attention spans are rather short , especially online , it is very important that potential customers' eyes are immediately drawn to the content that is most important for the company and are not distracted by less important elements.
There are different strategies to achieve this:
Size of the element:
The bigger - the more eye-catching
Color and contrast of the element:
Bright, high-contrast colors are more likely to attract attention
Placement of the element: Users usually read from top to bottom - what is at the top is perceived first
The visual hierarchy should ideally be defined in advance - the rest of the design is then built on this.
Tip 2: Don’t Make Me Think!
Don't Make Me Think is not only the title of our second tip, but also the title of the book that is considered the starting point for the intensive examination of user experience and still serves as a basic reading for web design.
In it, author Steve Krug describes the peculiarity of modern Homo Sapiens, who is only too happy to settle on the first possible solution rather than the best possible solution .
In concrete terms, this means that web design must be designed in such a way that users are not distracted from the actual activity they wanted to perform on the website by a complicated or confusing design .
A useful trick: Use familiar elements ! Many icons, symbols, or patterns are useful for broadly understanding the same things—a question mark for help, a magnifying glass for the search bar... prominently placed, a user in need doesn't have to think about where or how to get the information they need.
The best solution should always be conveniently served to users on a virtual silver platter.
Homepage of the online marketing agency EDELWEISS Digital
Looking for a new web design? With the prominent button, a bad solution isn't an option.
Tip 3: White space makes it possible
White or negative space describes the empty space on a website that does not contain any elements.
This white space, designed to the maximum extent with the background, is an important means of maintaining balance on a website .
Many elements, placed close together or one after the other, make it difficult for users to concentrate and distract too much from the essentials.
White space to create visual hierarchy:
White space is also helpful in creating visual hierarchy - the more empty space there is around an element, the more it attracts attention .
A lot of visual input around the element to be highlighted is distracting and blurs the focus.
Use white space for grouping:
Another proactive use is to use white space to group elements.
Related elements are visually connected by less white space , while elements with different themes are separated by a larger, empty area .
Tip 4: Let's get fancy! Use contrasts and movements.
A contrast always makes the desired element stand out.
A contrast works not only in terms of color, but also in terms of size.
So, does it work?
Call-to-action buttons, such as the Request Now button in the image above, particularly benefit enormously from this technique.
When many different elements have to be placed on a page, it can be difficult to draw sufficient attention to the relevant content .
It can help to place something much smaller next to the important elements - fusion data this makes them appear larger and more noticeable.
Another great idea is to trigger the Neanderthal in Homo sapiens.
Using moving images , the hunter-gatherer in us enjoys chasing entertaining animations on the screen .
The golden rule applies here: less is more! If the web design is overloaded with jumping, bouncing icons, user concentration suffers , and the effect is ruined.
Tip 5: Save on information = ensure concentration!
A website that is completely overflowing with information, advice, ideas and tips stifles the user's concentration and makes their ability to absorb information seem outdated.
It is a basic of the high art of web design - the human brain, especially the short-term memory , simply cannot process too much information at once .
The principle works in the spirit of Don't Make Me Think - here too, too much input harms the concept and diminishes the user experience.
Now it is time to find the golden mean.
There is a fine line between providing users with all relevant information and not overwhelming them.
Chunkings for easier information digestion:
The psychologist George Armitage Miller researched this psychological phenomenon that people, depending on their predisposition, can only store about 5-9 pieces of information in their short-term memory at a time and describes chunking as a method of portioning the necessary information into bite-sized pieces.
Related pieces of information are summarized and served to the user in an easily digestible way.
This also works all the time in everyday life, for example - longer series of numbers such as IBAN, telephone numbers or credit card numbers are represented in small groups of numbers for better absorption in long-term memory.
Of course, this doesn't just work with numbers - if, for example, if there are 15 different, important points that should be included on a homepage , the linked information is summarized into about 3 elements of 5 pieces of information each, this greatly improves the user's absorption of the information .
Landing Page Online Shops of the Online Marketing Agency EDELWEISS Digital
This screenshot from our company website illustrates chunking. Three information chunks are presented in an entertaining and concise manner, rounded off with a CTA button.
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