What Makes A Great Web Design: Part 1

Whether it is a blog, portfolio or anything else, web design is what sells the site. Nearly all of your visitors will decide to stay or leave within the first five seconds, and the rest within the next few. So, what makes people stay or leave? Well, obviously nobody can read fast enough, so it has to be the presentation. This alone makes web design crucial.

Then what makes a good web design? Every design varies, so it is important to know what is best to then build off of the basics.

The List

The Header

It is quite obvious that the first thing somebody sees is not going to be the footer of your website, or even the middle. The first thing a visitor sees is the the header. Your header should represent your site, have the title, and a little bit about the site, particularly about the blog.

However, having information about the website is not as necessary as making the header attractive. So, if it comes down to moving the summary of the site versus the beauty of the header, it is much better to move the summary. In short, the goal of the header is to sell the design, and to identify the site.

Usability

Because design is function over form (unlike art, form over function), anything you design will have a purpose. In web design, a design is meant to convey information in an aesthetically and convenient manner. This makes usability one of the key features of every great web design.

When designing a site, the navigation should be obvious and accessible. The navigation should always be available in the same spot, and a link back to the homepage needs to be easily reached, usually within the header.

Typography

Typography becomes more and more important as you have more and more text on your site. Typography is useful for establishing hierarchy, with various fonts and strengths to distinguish header from subheader. Often, readers will skim through your website first, so it is important they catch the main topics.

Typography is just as important when displaying large amounts of text. No one wants to have to strain their eyes to read an article. It is also good to have many breaks within the text, as many, such as me, fear large blocks of text. Realistically, many breaks in text help the reader determine where they are in case they leave and come back.

C.R.A.P.

Contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity for those of you who don’t know this acronym. Each of these is important within any design. In web design, each of these serves a different purpose.

Contrast is useful to distinguish the points of interest from the background. Use it to make a first impression, and catch attention.

Repetition is used to create unity within a web design. Useful in typographical hierarchy and when creating a color scheme.

Alignment is used to make sure a design flows and fits together. Although it is not very noticeable to an average visitor, lack of proper alignment can make a website look horribly chaotic and unpolished.

Proximity is used to distinguish different aspects and parts of a website. For example, in a blog, the header, contents and sidebar should be close together to create unity, however, separated to show they are different sections of the website.

Color

Color is great for establishing first impressions and the mood or theme of a web design. Color can also be used to show originality and contrast. When first visiting a site, the color scheme will be obvious, and can easily ruin a design if it does not flow properly.