There are so many factors that go into creating an attractive website design. At the same time, I thought I might give you a ideas for good website design that you can use right away, if you are thinking about how to create a good design. These are things that I frequently notice, and that I notice not everybody does pick up on.
Choose a font size that makes your text readable. A lot of web designers are very young-in their twenties. I’m not (I’m 41), so maybe this comment reflects this. But this is not a bad thing! The majority of your audience-depending on who that is-may well not be in their teens and twenties. A number of web fonts do look kind of cool at small sizes.
But they are going to be a lot easier to read at a higher font size, like the one you are reading now. Ultimately, your site visitors will thank you more for being able to convey the information quickly, than by looking “cool”.
Pay attention to the width of your text column. The wider the column is for your body text, the harder it will be to read. You just need to weigh this against the other factors that affect readability, such as: the age of your target audience, the readability of the font you are using, the length of your material and its complexity, etc. Just be sure the overall effect of all these choices leads to easy to read body text. And remember: nobody likes to read as much text on a web page as they do on the printed page!
Remember: people don’t “read” a web page, they scan it. Countless studies, as well as common sense, indicate that when people go to a web page, they don’t sit and “read” it in the way they might read a page in a book. And yet, it’s easy to forget this when we’re writing our copy and putting it up. Therefore, remember these things:
- Utilize lots of visual “cues” that will help your reader scan for the information that’s most pertinent to them; this can include bulleted and numbered lists, bold sections of a paragraph, and boxed sections-like “callouts,” for important take-away information.
- Write in shorter, simpler sentences than you might otherwise.
- Write in shorter paragraphs.
- Put yourself in the shoes of a busy person who’s searching for relevant bits of information.
Leave plenty of “air” between text and other elements. When I started doing graphic design in the early 90’s, I was taught by a very anal, meticulous friend, who schooled me to become very attuned to the amount of spacing between different elements of the page. A problem I often see is: for some reason, an otherwise decent design has too little “air” (white space) between text and design elements. Play with your design elements, and really “feel” when the feel balanced. Give the spacing that each one needs.
There are many ways in which you can play with giving your design this feeling of air, and ultimately, playing with the spacing between elements, until it all “feels” right-airy, roomy, and balanced-can go a long way to creating the impression of a professional, well-put-together design.
I hope this gave you a few more ideas for good website design. There are plenty more, but these are a few that you may not have thought of.
Web Design
Web Design
