Design concepts for building an effective website

Anyone who has chosen design as a career choice will absolutely love the job. Extremely satisfying and enjoyable there is always so much to learn and do. Be as creative as you want and show your passion in your designs means you will never get bored.  The design world is continuously evolving and there are no set rules to follow, you just go with the flow.

So, what exactly is an effective web design you may ask. Well it doesn’t have to be complicated so you can stop panicking. An effective web design should be simple and stylish with appropriate subtle effects which will give the aesthetics of your website an overall smooth and sleek finish. This doesn’t mean you have a bare bones website or go to the other extreme of a cluttered, hard to navigate website.

An effective website can be created by a good web designer who has the skill and expertise to build and design an impressive, slick, well laid out, easy to use website which loads up quickly and is welcoming to your visitors.

This article explains the basics of design concepts for effective web design.

The idea behind the website

The design is important for the simple fact that it must be good and practical and not hinder the usability of the website.  What this means in simple terms is that the website must be simple and quick to navigate for information.  The main challenge a web designer faces is striking the right balance between looking good, quick load time and user friendliness.  Many factors come into the pot at this stage such as the use of the right effects and elements for the site and making it easy to use for visitors. All of this has to be created without loss of quality on the website. On the programming side of things there is no room for compromise. It is quite simple, the web site has to be well coded and totally error free to give the user a pleasant and enjoyable experience.  The most important programming rule is that the website has to be web standard compliant – W3C along with valid XHTML/HTML, CSS compliant, accessible and work across multiple browser platforms.

In a nutshell the idea behind the website is to build a website that is well built, well balanced, easy to use, bespoke from other sites and user friendly. Sticking to these principles will enable a designer to create a great looking website.

Analysis before website design

Before starting any design work for a website, the designer must have a clear idea as to what type of website he/she is going to design. It is not a case of sitting down and designing the first thing that comes into your mind. I no clear goals are set you will struggle.  Before any design takes place a designer needs to be clear about requirements, objectives and specifications.

To simplify, this means you need to get a structure in place, your colour palette and know what your theme will be.  During this initial technical phase you need to ask your client some questions:

• What are the requirements for look and feel, navigation and structure?
• What are the objectives in terms of target audience, user interaction, speed of downloads?
• What are the specifications for colour scheme, effects and navigational

You need the right mindset for website design

When creativity comes into website design you should have a clear mindset of what you want to design, almost like a blank canvas in your mind. This is a key element as it plays a massive part in the finished design. You have to think about the design logically and objectively. Jumping straight into designing a website without thinking will only hinder you later on and it will be a case of back to the drawing board.

By spending some time applying logical processes you can design a great looking website that flows perfectly, is uncomplicated and overall makes the client happy. Not only that you will save a lot of time in the process of website design.

Here are some tips to built great websites using objectives and logic:

• Always focus on your goals

A designer will want to jump in and create the best looking website. However, make sure you pull the reins on your creativity as it is the client that you need to keep happy and that is the most important objective.  Read the requirements from the client as to what their website is going to be about. If they are selling products then a simple and sleek website should be created not a heavily graphical website.

• Judge the impact factor

A key factor you must consider when designing a web site is what the desired impact of the website.  This is something most clients are unable to answer. However, many clients are looking for sleek website designs that create the most impact. High impact is created by the right use of effects, colours and designs.  The finished design should be unique, perfect and appealing.

• Remember always keep the visitor in mind

At the end of the day when creating a website design you have to remember the user’s needs are priority. A user looks for usability, functionality, accessibility and simplicity.

Cornerstones of website design

The easiest way of designing a website is to break the process down into phases. This way you know exactly what you are doing and it can be done in a more organised way. Te cornerstones of creating an effective website design are:

• Website layout design

This is the starting point in the whole process. Once you have the requirements for the website structure and the design specifications you can start to design the shell structure.

• Website header design

The most prominent feature of the website and can make or break your website in terms of usability and desired impact. The header will take up a chunk of time but it will be time well spent. The header should contain relevant elements – logo, links and navigational elements which look cohesive and uncluttered.

• Website navigation design

This needs to be user focused. Users require a website that is easy to navigate. Try and add plenty of text links as these are easily optimised

• Website footer design

This is important as it carries the copyright notice as well as privacy and legal information.

• Website background design

This should be a simple colour or an image fill. However, as you become more experienced you will learn more about background design techniques.  A subtle background compliments website layout design and will create a good impact.

Following these cornerstones by the book will help you create a fantastic website design. Once it is completed and uploaded the final test will be that of usability and compatibility as well as download speed.