Business owners today are looking for excellence in web design. Big improvements have taken place over the past decade. New sites have improved usability and feature incredible visual experience. As web developers, we must use these new methods to satisfy today’s savvy customers. Viewers are now expecting a site with great usability with a pleasing visual experience for those visiting the site. This offers a user-friendly platform to browse and explore. This means that the generic and humdrum websites of the past just don’t measure up.
This year, new technology and aesthetics work together to create great new website concepts. The mobile-first methodology is now the most popular design technique requested. With this new genre, we are replacing older grid patterns, with clean platforms full of diverse images and carefully chosen graphics. Stock photography has been replaced by company images to build authentic brand relevance.
Keep it clean and user-friendly:
Everything is done in moderation to keep the web site simple and clean, yet eye-catching to the viewer. Our designers now use new and vibrant illustrations, graphics, bold colors, and visually pleasing layouts. There will be more black and white palettes and interactive elements which drive internet traffic. You’ll see hamburger menus (horizontal lines) depicting easy thumb-navigation which provides the user with quick option buttons for mobile users. Excellences in web design this year must include thumb-friendly, interactive design strategies. We are adding these new tools to all new re-designs. Ask your webmaster to include a few of these new elements to your next design.
What are “quick option” buttons?
For more explanation please look at the two images below. Schick Roofing is a site which we are re-designing. The first picture below is from the current site. It does not adapt well for mobile viewers. So we added a few quick option buttons. The other picture shows how we added quick option buttons to improve user experience. The quick option buttons are 1) text us, 2) call us, and 3) contact us.
The text us button opens the user’s Message Application and can be programmed with introductory information.
The phone us button opens the user phone application with the pre-determined phone number.
The contact us button opens a response reply form for the user to ask questions or get additional information by eMail. This is referred to as “thumb navigation.”
Adding bold serifs for modern appeal:
It is very important today to consider the font choices we make for the new website design. It must be clean and easy to read. More and more company brands are choosing larger, bolder headers and designer serifs to emphasize content. The website can easily take on a more modern appearance by using these new fonts.
Color makes a difference in concept & design:
We know that color is important for how we see the world around us. Although the color black is strong and professional in appearance when no color is added the website can begin to appear drab and not interesting. For a black and white website, we suggest that you add a minimal amount of color to create a more eye-catching visual look. This small amount of color will serve to enhance textures and shapes and will make your call to action elements pop.
Adding organic shapes to the site;
Geometric such as triangles, squares, and circles are perfect and are not naturally found in nature. Organic shapes, on the other hand, are naturally found in nature like plants and animals. They are asymmetrical and imperfect. They work in web design to provide depth, thus helping page elements to stand out and take on a more human feel. Our graphics artist specializes in free-drawn elements which can add an illusion of movement, enhancing user experience. Contact us to discuss graphics for your next website which will help you stand out in the crowd of competitors.
What is micro-interaction?
This is a moment (a small action where there will be a specific response). Micro-interaction allows the user and the design of the website to interact with each other. As we progress in web design methods we will be using more of these interactive elements to help our sites look smarter and easier to manage. The user clicks on any element, usually a call to action element and waits for a response. Whenever you check your Facebook page, or you refresh a page you are in essence using micro-interaction.
The use of video in web design:
Consumers today have very little time for reading content. This is where the video presentation shines. It not only diversifies web pages, but it also attracts on-the-go audiences Those interested in DIY projects find that video presentation offers them an easy way to learn new things. In fact, most any subject searchable offers information through video. It remains to be the most efficient and most sharable way to connect with an audience.
Minimalism will continue to dominate the web design landscape as we progress into a new year. The idea is to engage the audience without using so many distracting elements. Using video is a perfect choice. All information will be available for consumers at their fingertips through a video presentation. This also allows the concept to remain clean with more white space.
Excellence in web design today must include new, smart design strategies. With mobile-browsing fast becoming the norm, we must look at new programming choices. A more thumb-friendly, interactive design platform is the way forward. Better navigation is the key to developing new and exciting design concepts. We are on it (as they say). We are paying attention to our clients and are working hard to stay ahead of the curve in multi-media design and programming. Contact us for your next design project. We are here to help you embrace the future.
Have a great “end of summer” in Central Floria.
The design staff at Inside Design Orlando.
