Written by Like it has already been stated, the layout of a website has a pivotal influence in the overall impressions that users have on the website. Clear, intuitive layout means that users are able to easily find the information they need, and understand it. On the other hand, a poorly design website is an application that misguides users, does not capture their attention, and makes them leave. While the existence of online platforms as vehicles for the sale or exchange of goods and services, as well as for communication has increased, it is important for organizations and businesses to focus on the ease of use of website design if they are to capture audiences in the digital realm.
The most basic concept in web design is the need to determine and follow the audience needs and requirement on the site. Anyone who is coming to a specific website has an intention, this can either be to make a purchase, search for a particular information, or seek for company assistance. The design when implemented should make it as easy as possible to complete these tasks. If consumers are unable to locate information they are specifically seeking or if it is difficult to switch from one page to another, then they will most likely exit the site with a negative impression and never return. An ‘overcoming barriers to use’ design provides easy accessibility by categorizing information better and avoiding the cluttering of the site, and the use of label as well as navigation schemes that a first-time visitor can understand for easy navigation.
It should also be noted that there are general principles that dictate the design process, one of which is the concept of ‘visual simplicity’. Web pages should not overcrowd with compact rectangular blocks of texts, active and disruptive animations or backgrounds, and other flashy items which have no utility in functionality. This makes it easy for the reader to go through the content because the white space gives an easy read rather than seeing block paragraphs. To avoid making users overwhelmed, there should be minimal distractions on the website’s layout. This information and functions should be highlighted proportionally to their relevancy in terms of the layout, color and size of the letters used.
This also makes the design highly usable when there is some level of consistency in navigation and design. When important site elements such as search, account icon, or the shopping cart icon are in the fixed position, it helps users develop their expectations about its location in different pages, which in turn helps in easy navigation. The final benefit of consistency is the preservation of the primary visual design, the colors, and the typography, which likewise avoids any jarring changes that would disorient users when they click through the site and hinders their understanding of the site layout.
It is a point often missed that user psychology plays a major role in turning a piece of design from a functional piece of technology to one that is user friendly. For example, designing clear indications with buttons that a user can interact within the context to eliminate indecision and interactions with areas of the page that are inactive. The hover effect such as underlined text or buttons glowing for a moment before fading out implies ‘clickability’ and draws attention, making affordances more pronounced before the visitor tends to click on the element. Patterns that mirror some of the physical environment that users understand in their everyday experience also make digital designs self-explanatory, for instance; shopping carts or breadcrumbs to indicate previous pages in a website.
Closely following well-trodden web standards and conventions of information architecture and design is crucial to accommodate users’ expectations set by exposure to thoroughly polished and perfected popular websites and apps. Sticking to these norms, such as always placing the site logo and search button at the top of the page, reduces users’ cognitive load because they do not need to learn that this or that element is located at this or that place every time. Without reason, power violations upset findability and site coherence that is destructive of entrenched conventions.
Repeated design is the best practice when it comes to designing for an aesthetically appealing and functionality website. The creation of prototypes throughout the developmental stage and gathering feedback from users exposes flaws in the navigation scheme, the layout, or the organization of the content. Based on observing the typical usage of the representative visitors from the target audience, certain confusing features of the interface, which the designers themselves may not have noticed, can be identified. Applying these insights during the redesign and retouching process will go a long way in making users understand the layouts and making the sites as effective as possible.
In the modern world a website is an interface between an organization and the customers it serves. The quality of the interaction between users and a website greatly influences brand image, and directs business strategies. Therefore, user friendly web design can be said to be an ultimate goal that every organization must consider while creating its online brand image. According to the standards of usability practice, the provision of clear and simple design, the avoidance of stylistic extravagance and the subsequent testing of design options results in logical and easily comprehensive websites that successfully convert the viewers into loyal consumers. Competition, in this case, is just a click away which means that if a user experience is as smooth as possible due to good design then only will companies survive.
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