With website design becoming easier and more accessible, people can customize their websites to make them look unique and fit their style. However, not everyone knows of all the techniques available or may miss a trick or two on how to make their website stand out from the pack. “Fortunately” for designers, not everyone seems to understand what makes or breaks a Web design. Granted, Web design is to a large extent a creative process and can, therefore, be called more art than science. But because it is intrinsically a medium of presentation, some rules apply. By following some simple pointers, anyone should be able to create a visually pleasing design and take one step closer to fame. Okay, it’s not that simple, and talent and experience do matter, but anyone can turn their home page into something prettier within mere minutes.
So what makes something pretty? It is not flash. Not to say that Flash has no merit, but Flash alone doesn’t make a design good; some nasty Flash websites are out there. Also, one doesn’t have to be a great illustrator to make appealing designs. Instead, look at Web design as a symbiosis of different elements. No single element counts the most; rather, the sum of the elements makes a design look good.
There are an array of things you can do to make a website look better and more unique. Here given tips which usually recommended to anyone who is looking to make their website look better.
Use of different font
The font has a profound effect on the design of a site. You see many people still use the standard Arial, Georgia and Times New Roman fonts on their site. You can check out 5 web font alternatives to Arial and Helvetica, or you can check out Google’s huge web font collection.
Keep your design balanced
Balance is all about ensuring that your design does not tip to one side or the other. It is like the balance of weight in achieving symmetry or asymmetry.
Use a background image, texture or pattern
Adding an image, texture or pattern to the background of your site can give it a whole different feel. A website I recommend is Subtle Patterns, they have a huge collection of patterns and textures which are very minimal, they’re made to make your site look different but not be distracting.
Use icon instead of texts
Using icons instead of words for things such as social media buttons, menu buttons, and other interactive features can be a great way to tell users what they do instead of having it written down. It can also save valuable pixel space.
Compartmentalize your design into grids
The concept of grids is closely related to that of balance. Grids are a series of horizontal and vertical rulers that help you “compartmentalize” a design. Think of columns. Columns improve readability, making a page’s content easier to absorb. Spacing and the use of the Rule of Thirds (or similar Golden Ratio) make everything easier on the eye.
Try to make graphics go well together
Okay, great design doesn’t need fancy graphics. But poor graphics will hurt a design. Graphics add to the visual message. Websites like Web Designer Wall have impressive illustrations, while others are understated.
Change color scheme
Changing your color scheme can change a site completely. Use a color that portrays your image and what your website is about. Be careful about how many colors you use though. Too many will end up making your site look childish and very amateur.
Improve your website typography
The art of type is a tricky subject to talk about because it encompasses so many elements. While it can be regarded as a branch of design, one can spend a lifetime mastering all of its aspects. This is not the place to provide a complete typographic reference, so we will limit our discussion to what will benefit you in the short term.
Measure and leading
The measure is the length of lines, and leading is the height (or vertical spacing) of lines. In CSS, the measure can be controlled by defining a width for the containing box (e.g. the paragraph element). Both affect readability. If the lines are too short or too long, users won’t be comfortable reading the content; one often sees this problem with fluid layouts. Between 40 and 80 characters per line seem ideal.
Hanging quotes and bullets
A third way to improve readability is with hanging quotes and bullets. Rather than leave the text of bulleted lists and quotes with the default alignment, horizontally align it with the rest of the text on the page.
Have all elements connected
“Connection” is a bit of a made-up term here, but it seems to be the best one for what we mean. The connection here refers to a Web design that has both unity and consistency. These two attributes demonstrate the professionalism of a design. They are very broad attributes. Design should be consistent in its use of colors, in its range of fonts, with its icons, etc. All of these aspects count; a design can look great and still suffer from inconsistencies.
If you’re not a web designer, all of this may seem a little overwhelming. But remember, there is no single answer to great website design. Researching what other people are doing is one way to get inspiration and ideas that will drive the design process. And as long as you’re aware of the elements that make for a well-designed website, it will be much easier for you to work with a designer and achieve the website you want.
You might think of all these guidelines as being restrictions, and in some ways they are. You have to try, however, to be original when designing your site. Don’t follow all the rules. Use your creativity—to create that great web design you’re thinking about; to add just that little extra piece of content your site needs; to make a Web site that’s so unique visitors will return, even if they just want to see the design again. Make your site stand out from the crowd. If you follow the guidelines in this article and have the right content, your site will be a success.