Web Design Fundamentals for Businesses That Care About Usability
Web design encompasses a variety of disciplines and skills in the creation and maintenance of sites on the World Wide Web. The various disciplines of web design focus on the creation and structuring of websites for business, science or other applications. The disciplines of web design also encompass aesthetic appreciation of the visual arts of the web and its users. Web design includes various aspects such as graphic design, e-commerce design, user interface design, typography, video artistry, and user research and group studies.
Designers who work in the web design industry normally have a bachelor’s degree in either computer information systems web design or graphic design. Most web designers also have some background in business, computers and marketing. The ability to problem solve quickly is extremely helpful in this industry. Some of the skills required by web designers include the ability to use visual language such as tables and graphs; ability to communicate using text and graphics; the ability to work with minimal software; and the ability to work independently and creatively.
Graphic designers also need to have a good understanding of how to use image editing software and how to structure a website in a manner that is appealing and interactive. Aesthetics are also important for web designers because the way a site looks determines how many people will visit it and ultimately how successful it will be. Web designers need to understand social media and how to effectively use them in a way that promotes their businesses. Social media includes social networking websites, content management networks and social media sharing websites such as YouTube and Flickr.
In the world of web design, the ultimate goal is to create a website that can be viewed on laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones. The current landscape of technology greatly favors mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Many people now view the web on their mobile phones. The latest technology trends from mobile devices show a continued increase in user access to mobile web experiences. With this increase, business owners must also be aware of the challenges associated with mobile web design. Although mobile web design does not require the same skills and technology that desktop web design does, web designers must be familiar with mobile technologies such as HTML5, Android apps and mobile web technologies such as Latte.
Mobile web design incorporates elements that are designed specifically for mobile use such as app icons and buttons, mobile menus, images that are optimized for size and touch screen functionality and mobile responsive design. An effective web design not only makes its site easy to navigate; it also makes it accessible to those users who do not have a laptop or tablet to use. This includes elderly and disabled individuals who often have difficulty picking up a computer. Because of this, businesses must have a professional mobile web designer who is adept at designing websites that are both functional and user-friendly.
Usability is a very important consideration for anyone who is designing a website. A user experience is broken down into several components: navigation, ease of use, ease of understandability, interaction design and user experience expectations. Often, these components are intertwined, but a good web designer can create a website that has a high level of usability and yet is easy to navigate. A UI or user experience designer can create a website that uses basic navigation and interfaces that are easily understandable and that are designed with functionality in mind. Because most websites are developed on mobile phones, a UI or user experience designer needs to have experience developing websites that are used on the move. Mobile navigation, user experience and interaction design are the components that make up a great web design and understanding them can help you ensure your website’s success.
