Website Design and Layout
Choosing the right design elements and following a few basic rule will ensure your message is being conveyed to your users in a simple and effective manner. For example clear navigation, clean lines and a simple layout will make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for.
Some of the more important key design considerations that should be considered are consistency, coherence, information placement, information coding, color choice and text clarity.
In addition to having a basic understanding of what types of design elements to use, there is one more VERY IMPORTANT thing to consider in a relation to website design, and that is the concept of usability, which put simply means the ability for your visitors to find what they are looking fro easily and effectively.
One the most recognized authorities on the subject Dr jakob Nielsen, defines usability as a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interface are to use. The word usability also refers to methods for improving ease of use during the design process.
6 Key Design Considerations for Website Designing
Consistency
Consistency makes it easier to learn and remember how to use the website. Includes positioning of buttons, heading, icons, page layout.
Coherence
How easily can your visitors manage information and perform the relevant tasks.
Information Placement
What do people expect to see when viewing a page? (e.g. Consider where to place the most important content).
Text Clarity
Chose text that is easy to read and browser friendly, uses appropriate character cases, allows visitors to print the pages easily and uses a writing style that appropriate the target audience and genre.
Colour
Choosing a color pallet which is appealing to your visitors (e.g. use colors opposite each other on the colors wheel).
Information Coding
Coding technique such as the use of color, object size, shapes and numbers to designate content and information chunks appropriately.