Today’s web designers face a variety of options and choices when creating a website design. It is easy to become enamored with the latest technology or visual affects and it is easy to design a site in which users can rapidly lose interest due to over complexity. Here are some simple tips to become a better designer.

1. Keep it Simple — Yes, that old KISS principle that we have heard so often is still one of the most important aspects of design to keep in mind. The goal of any designer should be to avoid unnecessary complexity. The best sites are those that are easy to navigate, quick to load, and straightforward. Don’t crowd the screen with too much content. Design for the screen using a sense of balance.

Unless there is a reason for a particular graphic, designers should avoid fancy graphics. They just are not necessary. You should also avoid Flash elements unless necessary. This will make your design more efficient and you’ll eliminate the chance of users leaving your site before they even get to your home page.

Finally, don’t use music unless necessary. Many users surf the web while at the office or as they are listening to their own music. If you feel you must use music, give your visitor an opportunity to choose whether they want to listen to it or not.

2. Know Your Visitors — Speechwriters have long known how important it is to know who their audience will be. The most productive and engaging Web sites takes the time during the design phase to understand who they are targeting. By knowing whom you are talking to, whom you are trying to reach, and why, you will have a better idea of what layout, information, and components to include on your site. Design your site for your visitors not yourself.

3. Keep the Site Consistent — Keep the font and overall design consistent from page to page. It is best to use a standard font, larger type, and plenty of white space throughout the site. You want to keep visitors on your site for as long as possible and, just as with hardcopy, white space is more relaxing and easier on the eyes than a page crowded with content and graphics. Keep the overall design and color scheme consistent throughout.

4. Limit Ads — Remember, it is the content visitors seek when they visit your site. Visitors are not coming to your site to view the ads so don’t overwhelm them with commercialism. Try to avoid ads that blink, move, or jump around the screen and, although users are becoming used to pop-up ads, they are still annoying to many and the majority of users simply cancel them without reading them anyway.

Also, note that web site visitors don’t like to be fooled and they have an uncanny ability to spot sales and marketing material that is simply disguised as web content. Use ads that efficiently and powerfully get the message across and you will be able to use fewer of them.

5. Don’t Oversell – Don’t drive users away by immediately asking them to buy. Yes, the purpose of most websites is to make money, either directly or indirectly, but if all visitors receive when they visit is the hard sell, they will merely move on to another site. Give before you take. There are probably dozens of sites selling the same thing as yours and users will choose the site they believe worthy of giving their hard-earned cash.

6. Testing – No matter how careful you are with your design, it will inevitably contain errors. It is important to test every component, every link, and every form, on your site to ensure it works as intended. By designing to web standards, you will usually find yourself with a better-designed site in the end. Your site must account for everything that a user can, might, or will interact. Carefully plan and test everything in order to attain the optimal user experience.

Design your site for use with ALL browsers and small monitors. Test it using several browsers and monitor sizes. Many users today access websites from small handheld devices and, if your site is designed for the 17-inch monitor that you use, they will most likely see either a jumbled mess or only a small portion of the information you want them to see.

7. Provide Value – Empower your visitors. Give them a reason to visit your site, a reason to stay on your site, and a reason to come back to your site. Remember the whole reason for having the site is the customer. Design the site to respect and reward those who visit. Whether it is information, advice, reviews, or great customer service, you want users to come back again and they won’t if they don’t experience some type of intangible value from visiting the site.

8. Stay Organized — It is easy to become lost in the design of a website and it is best to begin with pencil and paper. Draw out each of the pages of your site and determine how they will interact with the rest of your site and with your users. This helps to identify and document all of the pages, elements, and components of the site so nothing is inadvertently missed during design. By planning your site carefully, you will ensure your visitors find it intuitive and easy to navigate.

9. Know What Works and What Doesn’t - Do some surfing before beginning your design. Pay attention to sites that you like. Why do you like them? What do you not like about others? Keep a list of items that you would like to integrate into your own site. However, don’t try to include everything. Make sure what you include fits the objective of your site. What works well for one site may be out of place in the design of yours.

10. Proofread — Again, no matter how careful you are, there are sure to be typos. A misspelled word, a word left out, a word misused. As a matter of habit, you should automatically check content using a spellchecker. However, it is also important to check your content manually. Sites with misspelled words or mistakes tend to convey a lack of professionalism. A helpful method used by proofreaders is to read backwards. Start at the end and read backward to the beginning. This eliminates having your mind skimming over well-known sentences or words.

I’m absolutely certain I’ve missed at least a couple so be sure to add more in the comments below.

Tags: design, designer, web design

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