You should do your best when you create a website design since this process is a rather time-consuming and difficult one. Moreover, some web designs require a couple of weeks, whereas other web designs necessitate months of work.
Let’s discuss the steps you need to take in web design development!
Steps to create a remarkable web design
Web design creation is similar to the mobile app design process. However, there are some noticeable differences between designing for web and for mobile, so the UI and UX building of web design require the following steps:
#1. Create a project plan
Planning is the foundation of a good web design. If you don’t create a plan, you will not keep up with a strict schedule and things may not unfold as desired. Without a well-thought plan, waste of time and waste of money are a reality. Thus, it is necessary to get acquainted with the project type, discuss all nuances with the customer and define all specifications.
Also, it is important to understand the main goal of the website, what it’s created for – to promote a brand or just to catch the visitors’ eye (like a landing page, for example). Do not forget to take into consideration the site’s audience and to define all the features of the site – this will help designers create the right plan.
#2. Research and sketching
After the planning stage comes the research. UI/UX designers usually study existing websites that may contain similar target information, and they look at how these sites were build and at their features. Or the clients can direct the designer towards a website that appeals to them and ask for a site similar to that one.
Great designers need to know the market so that they can create state-of-the-art products that compete with already existing sites. To make sure they respond to the client’s needs, designers should create a few sketches for the customer. Using a special graphics editor, sketches can be created quickly. Sometimes, even a simple drawing by hand is enough to show a future design.
#3. Wireframes
Wireframes are more detailed sketches that show a future web design in black and white. They are the skeleton of the site to be.
Designers build visible buttons, bars, lines, and other elements. Wireframes help designers maintain the order of these elements on a page. It’s necessary to consider user behavior psychology when creating a superb design that will be met positively by users.
#4. Navigation of the homepage and its layout
When a website is downloaded, the homepage is the first page users see. That is why a homepage should have a simple and intuitive navigation that ‘tells’ users what the site has to offer. So, a wise layout is crucial, and users will appreciate the work if everything is done properly.
Let’s speak more about the layout of a homepage. There are a couple of things to consider. First, designers should keep in mind to put all important information for the users above the fold. This means the upper part of a website that users see when the site loads. Above the fold visitors should see all contact information, the information about bonuses and discounts, and other relevant data. Below the fold users may find a more detailed description of the product they want to buy, the list of services, and so on.
As for the logo, it should be located above the fold somewhere in the left or right corner. The main menu should be also located above the fold, so users can quickly check out the website’s goodies. The menu usually includes Services, FAQ, About and other important links.
Titles shouldn’t be very long since they may overwhelm and annoy the users. Some visitors don’t like to waste their time reading. Also, all elements should be visible.
#5. Extra elements of web design to think about
Even if there are many elements that could enrich a web design, you should take into consideration that not all designs should contain all of them.
Animations – these elements may be heavy, and they can overload a website, but sometimes they are necessary. In some cases, animated objects become a trigger for specific actions, such as a purchase or a good feed-back.
Loaders – loaders can catch the eye of users while a page is loading. A loader can be a picture or animation that contains interesting information.
Banners – they are used for marketplace websites or other e-commerce sites. You can place information in a promotional video in a banner on the top of the page or in a picture with a description of an advertising campaign.
Hints – pop-up hints that contain helpful information can attract your visitors’ attention as they enter the site. This way, users can navigate the website better and find what they need in no-time.
#6. Colors and typography
The rise or fall of your site also depends on the colors you use. Users will leave a website that has irritating colors.
Therefore, UI/UX designers should think about all the colors they incorporate and create a good color scheme. This means that the color scheme of buttons, background and fonts should be taken into account. Keep in mind that the wrong colors could make users abandon the site!
General typography should also be consistent with colors, so that it doesn’t turn the site in a mix of various incompatible elements. The font should be visible and readable, it shouldn’t be too unusual.
#7. Prototypes should be implemented
At the end of this process, designers should provide customers with the prototype of a website – that is a functional copy of a completed web design. A customer can check it out, test it, and leave comments if needed. If there are some remarks, everything can be revised by designers. And when the web design process is over, it’s now the front-end and back-end developers’ turn to breathe life into it.
Web design types to think over
There are different types of website designs that UI/UX designers can create for a customer, and we will list the most popular ones:
Adaptive design
This type of design is more expensive, but it’s preferable. It makes it possible for a web design to look perfect on any device – tablet, PC, smartphone. The website can be adapted to each device effectively.
Responsive design
Responsive design is different from the adaptive design, as it simply displays elements without changing them. But for each type of website, it’s better to choose the web design type – some of them need a responsive one, others need an adaptive one. Everything is implemented individually.
Landing page
This is a website that has only one page and its main goal is to make users do something. For example, they could be encouraged to purchase a special product. And then, this website may redirect users to a full-fledged site where they can find everything they need.
Conclusion
This is how UI and UX designers can build an amazing web design. It’s not an easy process but at the end, their creation will make both users and site owners happy! Web design represents the foundation of a site and it hugely impacts its future popularity.
Author’s bio: Nataliia Kharchenko is a Technical Writer at Cleveroad – a web and mobile app development company in Ukraine. Cleveroad is focused on helping startups, small, and medium businesses create competitive and winning software. Nataliia enjoys bringing the digital world closer to people through writing about technology, mobile apps, innovations, and progressive management models.