Just about the aesthetics? Web designing simplified
Haven’t we all come across that dishevelled looking genius in movies, books and TV shows? What do these characters tell us? That looks don’t matter as long as you provide information and add value to something. Right? That may be true in some cases but the same cannot be said about the Internet. People come for information and entertainment and even if they are only looking for information they would prefer a web page that is aesthetically pleasing to give them that information. Why? Because quality content in itself cannot attract readers, an eye-soothing page would ensure that the reader’s eyes linger a while longer. That’s where web designing comes in. A web designer plans out the layout of a website after identifying the preferences and needs of the target audience.
Aesthetics
Being aesthetically pleasing is a significant part of web designing. Most web designers apply colour theory and psychology to build attractive home pages for companies or corporates. They make sure the colours align with the aims of the company and prompt the customers into action. The colours used in the webpage may also coincide with the brand colours of the company. For example, the homepage of Pepsi is predominantly blue, which is their brand colour. Blue is by far a favourite when choosing brand colours as blue evokes trust, loyalty and security. Strategies like these are meant to influence the psyche of a customer and reinforce brand identity. Web designing applies these principles when designing web pages so that the viewer is positively influenced.
Attracting the Target Audience
Consider a literary blog written targeting scholars and a travel blog written targeting the youth. The design and layout of both their homepages would be very different. The literary blog would use a lighter, more sober colour scheme whereas the travel blog would be vibrant and eye-catching. The literary blog would emphasise titles of discussions and their content whereas the travel blog would focus on picturesque photos of beautiful locales. The target audience plays a significant role in how a web page is designed. The primary objective of the web designer is to appeal to the tastes and needs of the target audience. The web page they create must catch the eye of the audience long enough for them to explore its contents. Even if the content is high quality, without a skillfully designed web page, no one would pay attention long enough to realise the quality of the content. It is a fact that quality content makes customers
stay, but it is an aesthetic homepage that brings in the customers.
Page Layout
You may have across web pages that look better on your desktop than on your smartphone. There was a time when most web designing happened keeping in mind the needs and aspects of a desktop. But that is not the case anymore. These days most web pages have page layouts that are designed for viewing from a smartphone. Fluid layouts allow the webpage to customise the content layout according to the screen size of the viewer’s device. This ensures that no portion of the content gets cut off. It also allows the viewer to view the whole content without scrolling horizontally.
Accuracy and Clarity
Consider a website that is difficult to read due to a chaotic layout and confusing labels, would you choose it over another website that has a design that emphasises clarity? Most people would choose the latter one. Web designing takes into consideration this need for clarity and accuracy. A web designer emphasizes the USP and the core message that the page intends to convey. This is done using colour schemes and sometimes by adding animated graphics. The use of hoverable drop menus and other navigation menus can also enhance the clarity of a webpage. This ensures that the customer is not left confused and is instead smoothly guided to the information that he/she seeks.
Typefaces
The right typeface can make a great difference in the whole look of a webpage. You may have come across poetry pages that use script fonts that resemble handwritten and calligraphy lettering, many wedding planner sites also use these fonts. But you wouldn’t find the same in a web page that provides study materials or a page that is related to business. These pages are more formal and hence use more formal typefaces. It may sound like a minor detail but as they say, the devil is in the detail. To sum it up, the typeface used sets the tone of a webpage. Practical aspects like readability are also taken into account while choosing the appropriate typeface for a page.
Easy navigation
One of the many pitfalls that await a web designer is the urge to showcase your talent while designing a webpage. Why is that wrong? A web designer’s aim should always be to understand their customer and provide them with the best experience. If the webpage gets too complicated that the customer struggles to navigate to the info he/she seeks, the webpage would stop being useful. Minimalistic designs, if done tastefully, work well as customers are more likely to find exactly what they want. Proper use of drop-down menus and clear labelling can help declutter your page and give it a clean look. Choose order over chaos.
Conclusion
Web designing is an ever-evolving field. With technological advancements, more and more skills and techniques are necessary for a web designer. A web designer is therefore constantly learning new strategies to attract target audiences and create stunning web pages. It is indeed an art in itself and a creative streak is a must in this field. But creativity can only get you so far, technical know-how is, therefore, a must. The Internet is ever-expanding and new websites are created every day, and behind each website is a handful of people who work to make it as user-friendly and convenient as possible. Next time you see a stunning website, remember that a web designer behind it worked hard to bring it to you.
