Critical Elements For Current Web Design
Design makes a difference in many things and can transform a simple everyday item into something spectacular. On the web, this same principle holds true so when designing a new website or updating an old one, it is important to consider the many elements that can contribute for a better experience to the user while also looking beautiful. With the prevalence of mobile smart phones and the increased usage of mobile surfing, a designer should be aware of all the current technology in order to create a seamless design. What we’re going to discuss in this article are the critical elements a designer should be implementing to stay current.
As mentioned, being mobile ready is an important feature for a website. A designer can either have a design that is dynamic in it’s structure so the formatting will fit any size device or create a whole separate mobile website that is only viewable when accessed by a mobile device. Either way is acceptable however the latter example would require more work since a designer is basically creating two designs in that instance.
Mobile ready designs are especially important for local businesses as features such as “Tap to Call” make it easier for a mobile web user to simply touch a button and instantly be dialing the correct business number. A good designer will be able to put the most important information and feature it prominently while still making things look attractive. Flash, although brilliant for some effects cannot be seen properly on certain mobile phones so understanding this and finding alternatives are key.
Social media is very important in today’s culture and at its current rate will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Having appropriately related icons and scripts conveniently placed while also not looking so intrusive would be a sign of good design. Consistency of design will make a web visitor feel comfortable and should complement the applicable genre.
With attention spans getting shorter as we speak, video has and will continue to be the growing trend in the web industry as well. Fully integrating video so it’s accommodating without being intrusive will be another challenge for a web designer. The videos themselves could benefit from design additions to add a bit more flair to what could otherwise be a boring video.
All these aspects of design also have to take into account the impact on server load speed as it’s a critical factor for user experience and search engine rankings. Sizing pictures appropriately for the web will significantly decrease load times.
As one can see, incorporating all these required elements that will translate to success while considering the design impact they have is a challenge for every designer, experienced or not. By keeping current in the trends of web design can one evolve and grow to consistently be in the forefront of their industry, providing wonderfully designed websites that encourage web visitors to come back often. Content is what people desire but design is what first gets someone to take a look.