Web Design, in the eyes of non-professionals, is generally thought to be simply ‘making a website’. Although this is true on some level, there are many more things that encompass web design. Web Design consists of everything before a website is ready to be used by a client or user. It includes graphic design, user interface design, insertion of code and software, user experience design, marketing, and search engine optimization. This often means that there will be teams in which individuals work on separate aspects of web design, rather than a single creator.
The different aspects of web design are further explained below:
- User Experience and Interactive DesignFor a website to gain popularity and become successful, an easy and friendly user experience is crucial. When designing the website, the creators should keep in mind how intuitive the design is, and how the users will interact with the website. Interface also depends on the type of code used; some websites will be dynamic whereas others static depending on the type of code used.
- Graphic DesignVisual attraction plays a big part in determining how users react to a website and whether they come back. This may include things such as layouts, logos, and buttons. Graphic Designers are also in charge of typography and motion graphics. Motion Graphics include videos, animation and such which may either enhance the user experience or distract the user. Graphic designers need to consider all of these factors while creating a visually attractive design for the website.
- Software and Technical AspectsThe code is the backbone of web design and like previously mentioned, it will also determine the user experience. Websites may be dynamic and interactive, or may simply be filled with pages of information. Many social media websites such as Facebook are interactive and dynamic whereas something like Wikipedia is not. Some websites may benefit from an interactive design, whereas some are better off with a simple layout. This part of web design is usually left to web developers.
- Marketing and Search Engine OptimizationThe more frequently visited a website, the more successful. Whether the website is one that promotes a business or one that makes its money off ads, more visits means more money. This is one of the most important factors that contribute to a website’s success and is often overlooked. Marketing includes things such as improving web presence by targeting specific audiences, whether it be people of a certain age or people that are interested in a similar activity. Search engine optimization is a much more subtle thing, for it mostly requires using certain key words to be incorporated into the blogs in order to maximise the number of appearances in search results.
Web Design isn’t just about making a website, but rather also about making it attractive and successful. There are many subtle things that can contribute to a successful web design. Regardless of the purpose for which you are trying to create a website, be sure to keep the above mentioned things in mind while doing so.