Web design seems like a tough and complex task but thanks to the evolution of technology and internet penetration, it is easy to create a website today – just use an online website maker! Website design has become a useful skill today and using an online tool is simply not enough to create a stunning website. This is why you should know the knowledge and skills involved in the art of web design. If you are a beginner who wants to learn how to become a website designer then you are in the right place.

This article will serve as a guide to help you to learn the basics of web design. So, without further ado let’s dig right in!

Understanding Web Design

As stated before, website design is a complex concept with many elements. As a beginner trying all of it at once will leave you daunting and confused. Therefore, to understand the basics of web design, it is sufficient to know these two things:

What is Website Design? 

Many people often misunderstand what web design exactly means. Well, let’s clear your misconceptions; to understand the meaning of web design, keep this formula in mind:

  • Visual + interaction = web design

Looking at this formula, it is pretty clear that web design does not only involve the visual aspects, it also involves other aspects of a website – categorization, navigation, etc. Hence, website designing involves the skills, science, and technology of building the look as well as the functionality of a website. To put it shortly, web design is all about resolving issues and deciding how visitors will interact with the web pages.

Image credits: https://www.blazedream.com/

Remember: website design is not web development. It is not about the front end or back end development and requires no coding.

Well, it is always a great advantage if you know some coding (Java, CSS, HTML, etc.), however, you don’t need to know the depths of web development if you want to focus on web designing.

  • Web Design Process

Web designing is an interesting and challenging task as you turn a blank page into a website. How do you do that? 

Well, follow the steps of web this basic design process to build your own website

      • Set a Goal

        Before you start any project, you need to have a goal in mind. Figure out what type of website you want to design. Is it going to be for a blog, e-commerce, new product promotion or an enterprise? It’s better to start with a blog for learning purposes if you have no idea about what kind of website you would like to set up. It is a simple option for beginners as compared to creating other types of websites. Also, look at different website design ideas to have an early concept of what your website should look like.

      • Make a Schedule

        Set a time limit for designing the pages and divide the web design project into smaller tasks.

      • Create a Sitemap and Wireframing

        This is perhaps, one of the most crucial steps in the web design process. While brainstorming, turn your ideas into a wireframe or create a sitemap by pen or using an online wireframing and sitemap tool.

      • Content Creation

        The website is nothing without content. In this step, you bring the website together by adding design elements, copies, visual, interaction and content.

      • Run a Test

        This is where you test the website and get feedback. Keep testing and making amendments until you have maximized the quality of user interface and user experience.

      • Launch

        This is where you test the website and get feedback. Keep testing and making amendments until you have maximized the quality of user interface and user experience.

    This concludes a basic web design process.
    Now you know what web design means and how to go about it. Let us take a look at the key elements of web designing.

Key Elements of Web Design

This is where the fun stuff begins – colors, navigation, user experience (UX), typography, etc. Every website creator has their own approach when it comes to building a website but here are some standard elements that must be accounted for:

  • Visual Appearance and Layout

Did you know: Visitors take only 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about your website? And that first impression will determine if they leave or stay. This means the visual appearance and layout of your website should be appealing and filled with different aesthetically pleasing design features; it should be clean, simple, intuitive and attractive. Using whitespace and grid-based designs makes your website look orderly and organized. To understand this concept better you can take website design inspiration from other popular websites as well.

A good layout involves creating a website structure that follows a visual hierarchy. Two common web design layouts are F-pattern (suitable for dense blocks of content) and Z-pattern (dense design but less text). You can check out other website layouts here

  • Colors

Color is a crucial element in determining the visual appeal of your website. Most web designs today use monochrome tones because it is a smart yet safe design choice. You can also go for a complementary color scheme by choosing colors opposite to each other in the color wheel. Make sure the contrast looks and feels fresh and crisp.

Further reading:Colour Theory that Every Designer Should Know: A Brief Guide

  • Typography

Typography is a wide concept and as you grow as a designer, you learn more about kerning, using different weights and the line-height. However, as a beginner, you should focus on the basics like readability. Make sure everything is readable so the body copy should be a minimum of 16 pixels. To learn more about typography check out “Web Typography 101”. 

  • Navigation

Keep navigation simple and do not experiment with complex subnavas and other over-animated effects. Navigation should be quick and speedy to take the visitors to the desired web page. Clear navigation greatly improves the usability of a website, hence, if the navigation is unclear, users will likely get confused. Make sure your web page designs and the overall website is optimized for smooth and quick navigation.

  • Content

Content in web design can be textual, visual or aural. Hence, content includes all texts, images, graphics, sounds, videos and audios on your website. The content on your website should be clear, engaging, well-researched and relevant to the target audience. Avoid jargon and complex terms to enhance the readability of textual content.

  • User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)

User experience refers to how the visitors use and feel about the website. The color scheme, typography, navigation, layout and content all decide how users will feel about the website. Hence, designing a website while keeping the visitor’s interest in mind and adding elements to optimize functionality, will enhance the overall user experience. 

User Interface, on the other hand, deals with making a website easy to use (user-friendly) and free of errors and complications. Beginners should focus on interactive elements and usability to improve the user interface of a website. 

Further reading:The Difference Between UI And UX

Conclusion

We hope this beginner’s guide on web design was helpful and informative for you. Use the web design process and key elements mentioned in this article and create your own website quickly and easily. Best of luck!

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