I’m Linda Diamonds, with years of experience in web design, possibly longer than your age. If you’re older than me, you might recall the days of MySpace and slow dial-up internet – that’s how long I’ve been at it.
Now, let’s dive into 30 valuable web design tips, especially aimed at those who are new to the field.
For beginners in web design, the key is to start learning by immersing yourself in tutorials and actively practicing design. Don’t be discouraged if your initial designs aren’t flawless; the important thing is to begin honing your skills.
Before embarking on a web design project, it’s crucial to have a well-thought-out plan in place. This typically involves creating a site map and a wireframe to guide your design process.
Familiarity with fundamental web design languages like HTML and, perhaps, even some JavaScript can be incredibly empowering. Even if you don’t intend to become a full-fledged web developer, this knowledge will greatly benefit your design work.
If coding isn’t your thing, don’t worry. There are modern website builders available that require zero coding skills. Numerous excellent options are at your disposal, with Editor X being my personal favorite – it allows you to create virtually anything you can envision.
Select a design style that resonates with your project and stick with it consistently. Whether it’s minimalistic, brutalist, contemporary, playful, or even anti-design, maintaining style consistency is key to creating a cohesive and impactful web design.
When it comes to typography, adhering to certain rules and standards is essential for achieving a polished look. One effective approach is the golden ratio. Start with a base font size, such as 14 pixels, and then multiply it by 1.618 to determine the next font size increment, which would be approximately 23 pixels, and so on. This technique adds intrigue and a touch of drama to your designs.
If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he might well have pursued a career in web design and applied the golden ratio to font sizing.
Animations are not only enjoyable but can also enhance the visual appeal of your website. They serve various purposes, from conveying information about site activities to providing feedback, such as a loading indicator. You don’t need to be a motion design expert to incorporate animations into your site; platforms like Editor X offer user-friendly tools for this.
When designing your website, select a primary action color to create distinctions among different elements. This aids visitors in identifying crucial elements and distinguishing them from less important ones. For instance, you can use a vibrant color to draw attention to an “Order Now” button.
Images can either slow down your website or enhance its appeal, depending on their quantity and optimization. It’s essential to use images judiciously to prevent overwhelming your audience. However, there are cases where breaking this rule can be effective. If you decide to incorporate numerous images, ensure they are optimized to improve page loading times.
Seek inspiration from other websites when brainstorming your own design concepts. Explore award-winning sites, platforms like wsj.com and site inspire, as well as Apple’s one-page designs, or peruse the Editor X blog for creative ideas.
For those starting in web design, using templates can be a wise choice. Templates expedite the creation of professional-looking websites with ease. Editor X offers a range of templates that you can readily utilize.
Ensure that you use the appropriate file formats for all your images and assets. For instance, images should be in formats like JPEGs, PNGs, or even GIFs, while logos are best suited as vector graphics in SVG files to maintain sharpness and clarity.
Effective Layout Techniques in Web Design
In web design, grids serve as a fundamental tool for achieving well-structured and balanced layouts. Moreover, they offer the creative freedom to craft unique and visually captivating structures. With Editor X, setting up responsive grids is straightforward – you can simply add a container, select “Make a Grid,” and customize settings to align with your design.
Flexbox, another powerful tool, enables the creation of websites and layouts that seamlessly adapt to various devices, screen sizes, and breakpoints. It simplifies tasks like element alignment and column creation. In Editor X, Flexbox is integrated into three layout tools: stacks, layers, and repeaters, streamlining content adjustment across different viewpoints, even if you’re not well-versed in coding Flexbox.
Whitespace, often underestimated, plays a crucial role in web design. A lack of sufficient whitespace can result in a cramped appearance and reveal a lack of experience. Whitespace, the empty space on a page, acts as a visual separator, enhances readability, and provides your website with breathing room. Remember, everyone appreciates a little space.
Simplifying Design for User-Friendliness
To maintain consistency in fonts, colors, and other design elements throughout your website, consider using a style guide. This becomes especially valuable when collaborating with a team. In Editor X, you can easily create a style guide by selecting “Site Styles,” configuring typography and colors, and saving frequently used design elements as global assets. Consistency ensures that your team utilizes the same elements during website design.
Always keep your target audience in mind when designing. They will be the ones experiencing and navigating your website, so prioritize clarity and ease of use. Opt for simple fonts and ensure that information is readily accessible.
When in doubt, stick to a single font. While it might be tempting to showcase your creativity through multiple fonts, it can slow down your website’s loading time. Research indicates that you have a mere 50 milliseconds to create a positive initial impression. If your site takes eight seconds to load due to numerous fonts, it might deter visitors. Focus on playing with font weight, size, and color to create visual interest and hierarchy. You don’t need an array of fonts unless you have specific brand guidelines or professional design requirements.
Understanding color science and theory can be challenging, so if unsure, go for a black-and-white palette. For a more sophisticated look, consider using a light shade of black and a subtle off-white. If you opt for additional colors, avoid primary ones like red, green, and blue. Instead, explore various shades, tints, and tones to enhance your design. Utilize tools like Coolors.co to assist in selecting your website’s color scheme.
Once you’ve determined your color palette, implement it in Editor X to commence website creation. Text alignment on the web primarily includes left, center, and right options. If uncertain, choose left alignment, as centered text can be less appealing for reading on screens. While justified alignment exists, it’s more suitable for print media than web design.
Anti-design takes a contrary approach to conventional design principles. It emphasizes aesthetics that suit both smart devices and fonts, recognizing that most users engage with websites on mobile devices. Therefore, it emphasizes quick loading, mobile-friendly layouts, easy-to-tap calls to action, and concise paragraphs. Fortunately, with Editor X, adapting designs for various breakpoints is effortless, eliminating the need for extensive coding efforts. In essence, you have every opportunity to create an outstanding website for every device.
Buttons and Calls to Action (CTAs) in Web Design
Buttons are universally appealing; people enjoy interacting with them, whether by clicking, tapping, or pressing. When incorporating buttons into your website, it’s crucial to maintain consistency and establish a button system. Here’s what I mean: select a primary call to action style and stick with it. If you introduce a secondary call to action style, make it distinct, perhaps by using a subtler color, reducing its size, or presenting it as a link. With Editor X, you can ensure this consistency by saving buttons as global assets throughout your site. If your primary call to action is challenging to locate or hidden, you risk losing potential customers. Always keep the call to action readily visible or just a short scroll away. One effective method for ensuring more users see your call to action is by implementing a sticky bar. This is a fixed bar that remains at the top or bottom of the screen, regardless of how far users scroll. Creating a sticky bar in Editor X is a straightforward process: select the container you want to make sticky, access its “Settings,” and set its position to “sticky.”
Community Engagement and Ongoing Practice
There’s a well-known saying that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and this holds true for web design as well. If you aspire to enhance your web design skills, consider becoming a part of a web design community and actively participating. Numerous online communities are dedicated to helping individuals learn and refine their design abilities. Most of these communities are welcoming to both beginners and seasoned designers, fostering an environment of learning, growth, and collaboration. Share your work, pose questions, offer feedback, collaborate with others, and challenge yourself and your peers to evolve. This approach not only accelerates your progress but also mitigates feelings of isolation. In fact, you might want to join the Creative X community, which is a free community associated with this channel; you can find the link in the description below. If you decide to join, don’t hesitate to send me a message and introduce yourself.
Don’t wait for perfection; just hit that publish button. No project will ever be flawless, so launch it and continue refining it in a live environment. Improving your web design skills requires daily practice. The more you engage in designing and building, the more proficient you’ll become. It took me years to master this, and even if you consider yourself a competent web designer, dedicating time to daily practice can elevate your craft to a world-class level. Remember, practice makes perfect.