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Usability, Accessibility and Interaction Design

5 tips for designing a better website

Research shows that people form a favorable impression of a website by visual design alone. The visual design should match the site’s purpose. Construct a better, more usable and accessible website with these 5 design tips.

  1. Provide clear communication in your design
    Why? The primary purpose of your design is to communicate, not decorate. Yes, visual communication is very important, just don’t make it a distraction. Be very clear and direct. Can a website visitor understand what your company does? What you are selling? Is that blinking, flashing thingamajig helping or hindering?
  2. Make sure design elements are in alignment
    Why? – Aligned elements strengthen the visual appearance and make it much easier to read and find information. Pick an alignment scheme and stick with it throughout the site.
  3. Group related elements together
  4. Why? When related items are grouped together each group represents a chunk of information that strengthens the visual hierarchy. The page is better organized and the information easier to scan.
  5. Use repetition and consistency
    Why? – Use the same style, colors, typography, illustrations, format, and layout throughout your site to maintain integrity and a consistent look and feel. Construct each page to strengthen the image of the whole site.
  6. Use contrast effectively
    Why? – Proper contrast will provide a dominant feature to draw the reader’s attention. If there are no (or multiple) contrasting elements, then nothing will stand out as a single focal point.