Web design

Identifying Good Web Design

web designYou've probably been using the internet for a good amount of time. If you have, you might have encountered hundreds-even thousands-of web sites and subsequently, their design. Of course, not all designs are made equal. Some are hard to read, others are hard to navigate, and all other kinds of problems. If you're a business owner, you've probably had to negotiate with someone to have your website without really understand what you're supposed to be looking at.

So we want to give you some places to look. Keep in mind that this isn't a locked in list. Some websites might have different needs to others, while others might have a defined look that they are going for.

Good Web Design is Easy Navigation

In the past, many websites were designed with the idea of looking good in mind. Now, we know that readability and navigation are two of the more important factors in good web design. Users should be able to find the content that they want with as few clicks as needed. They should also be able to navigate around your website without having to use the back button on their browser.

If you're looking at the portfolio of a web developer, look for the ways in which they handle the navigation. See if it is easy for the user to get back to the top of the page without endless scrolling, or if the page jumps around without any warning.

Good Web Design is focused information

In the minutes that they are there, the user will judge your website on a number of different qualities. The logo, the navigation, the colors and the contrast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_%28vision%29); and the content. Content is king in web design. Take a look at the websites designed by Lewes SEO (http://lewesseo.com/web-design), they're quick to the point and easy to look at. The content is king on these websites and that's what makes them a good choice. And because their content is easily available, it makes it easier for search engines to pick up on.

On the other hand, bad information is usually presented below the fold (the top half of the website) and is generally hard to see right from the start. It could be written in unclear language and has terrible color and font choices. Everyone knows the horror of yellow text on a white background and how hard it is to actually read.

Good Web Design is Uncluttered

The most recent trend in web design has seen the growth of a minimalist (http://designinstruct.com/visual-inspiration/web-design-inspiration/clean-website-designs/) style. This style sees less of the glossy headers and animated backgrounds. It's less in your face and allows your content to shine. This isn't an accident. In the event that you find an older website, look at it and think about what draws your eyes away from the content. If it's a fair few things, then the web designer was doing their job wrong. If the content is right in your face, then you're usually golden.

But minimalist and uncluttered aren't really synonyms in this sense. A website can have a minimal look while still being cluttered and vice versa. The key is good balance. This is probably the hardest for any new web designer to pick up. It's not something that is always easy to notice when you're first starting out. You'll notice when a website is too cluttered and too busy but it can be hard to know when it is too light or unbalanced. The content is too much in your face and it just doesn't look right. On the other hand, when you nail a well-balanced website, you'll know right off the bat. It's easy and soothing to look at. It will all make sense.

Web design is something that looks easy but is incredibly hard to get right. Everyone will have an opinion. If you're someone looking for a new website make sure you look for these signs in the portfolios of your prospective partners and make sure you make comment on what you don't like. You won't be judged on not knowing what you're talking about but you'll hate if you don't get the look you want. Web design is complex and simple at the same time, that's what make it beautiful.

If you have any questions, please ask below!