Understanding everything you need to know about web design

Le web designAlthough ubiquitous in our daily connected lives, it is still a term that is often misunderstood and misrepresented.

Yet this is not how it should be, because this artistic discipline is inextricably linked to the image that websites project to their users, directly impacting their overall experience and perception.

Our Web Agency Optimize 360 here are some explanations and tips

What is web design?

Web design can be defined as the combination of visual elements (graphics, colours, typography) and interactive functionalities (navigation, page layout, animations) with the aim of creating a homogenous environment in which web users can move around and interact with the content offered by the site. website.

Web designers are responsible for creating a real identity for their website project, but also for ensuring its continuity across the different pages that make it up, taking into account the specific technological features of the digital medium.

The main aspects of web design :

• • Graphic design : it concerns everything to do with the visual appearance of the site: choice of colours, typefaces, composition of the different sections of the page, etc.
  • Layout : is the spatial organisation of the elements on a page, enabling the content to be read in an optimal manner.
  • Navigation : This covers all the solutions and tools put in place to make it easier for visitors to move around the site. This includes menus, internal links and the breadcrumb trail.
  • Interactivity : These are the various functions that enable users to communicate with the site, and even to contribute to its content (forms, comments, etc.).

Why is web design so important?

In an increasingly competitive digital environment, web design plays a decisive role in the image that a website projects, and therefore in its ability to attract and retain visitors.

A website that demonstrates real web design quality will naturally establish a relationship of trust with web users, offering them a pleasant, fluid browsing experience free of technical or visual obstacles - all advantages that will subsequently encourage their interaction with the platform in question.

User experience: the cornerstone of web design

Web design is about more than just the aesthetics of a website: its primary purpose is to optimise the user experience.user experienceoften referred to as UX (User eXperience).

UX encompasses everything that affects the way a web user perceives a website, both visually (emotions conveyed by the design) and functionally (ease of navigation). For this reason, it is at the heart of a web designer's concerns, with the emphasis on site ergonomics.

How can web design optimise UX?

There are several fundamental principles in web design to create a satisfying user experience:

1. Visual consistency : A consistent design across the different pages makes them easier to understand and navigate.
2. Legibility : Typefaces and their size must be adapted to ensure that content is easy and quick to read.
3. Prioritising information : Highlight the essential elements according to their importance in order to guide the web user and avoid information overload.
4. Accessibility : The site must be accessible and usable regardless of the medium (computer, tablet, smartphone) or web browser used.
5. Speed : A page that loads quickly guarantees a pleasant browsing experience and encourages visitors to consult other pages on the site, whereas on the other hand waiting too long generates frustration and abandonment.

To put these principles into practice and create a website successful design, web design professionals need to master a number of tools and technologies, including :

• HTML / CSS : These languages are inseparable when creating web pages: HTML is used to structure the content, while CSS determines the appearance (colours, typography, etc.).
• JavaScript : Programming language used to introduce interactive elements into a page, such as animations or advanced functions.
• Retouching/graphics programmes : Software such as Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign, essential for creating the visuals that will make up the design of the site.
• Responsive Design : A technique that automatically adapts the presentation of a site to the size and characteristics of the screen on which it is being viewed (computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.).

At the end of the day, the term web design encompasses much more than just the visual aspect: It is in fact a complex whole, built around a variety of practices and skills, all with the ultimate aim of delivering an optimal user experience on websites.

It is in this respect that this discipline is proving crucial in the face of the growing impression that our lives are always connected through the multiple facets of the Web.