The Invisible Aspect of Website Design

Posted by Ken Gilmore
1
Mar 30, 2016
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Website Design is not always something that which can be seen. Users sometimes get engaged with a website without understanding the reason. The website can just be that engaging. It is difficult to explain this preference. This unknown aspect is an undefinable subtleness which gives a great user experience. This invisible aspect does not need an extra effort, but it is a simulation of all the visible design efforts that have been already put through. It refers to those design aesthetics that creates an emotional response from the users making them want to interact with the website. To understand and create the invisible design we need to perceive the world differently than we did before. We need to understand that design is not only what we see, but also that which we do not see.

For designs to get meaningful, they need to tell a story. Its logo, color, layout, icons, everything forms a part of that story. Remember that each story will vary as per the culture, society, politics and religion, all of which need a thorough research to design stories relevant to the target audience.

Designing websites with a storytelling approach in mind is like allows users to interact with the website intuitively. Intuitively means to act without the need to think. Thus, with so much of emotional response being involved, we need to understand how a design communicates at this level.

According to Jared Spool -

'Good design when done well becomes invisible. Its only when its done poorly that we notice it.'

By determining what story is to be conveyed we can make an invisible design. Each story has several components and in case of design these components are Color, typography and content tone.

Color

Each color can generate a specific psychological response. The association of emotion and color has been established over the years and has been continuously reinforced through various media and culture. If a product is targeted to particular ethnic group, it is wise to understand their color associations for a maximum impact. Example, the design for Valentine's day and Christmas is expected to be in glossy red, while a corporate website appears good in matt blue. Different cultures have different interpretation of the colors. For example, white signifies wedding in some cultures, while it is a color of mourning in many others. It will be hard to shake off the patriotic feeling from a design with a combination of white, red and blue as it signifies the color of the flag in America, British and France.

Typography

Writing is thinking on the paper. Typefaces also have their own psychological reaction. They suggest different values and ideals.

Different fonts are used on purpose:

Serif fonts are more associated with tradition and high end values. Hence, governments and newspaper websites tend to use this typeface.

Sans serif fonts are modern, informal and friendly. Hence the less serious information like show biz, gossips etc., make use of these fonts.

Comic sans and typeface of this category are generally used to convey a lighter form of information. They are generally used in cartoons, kid's websites etc.

The size of the fonts also has an effect.

Smaller fonts sound meek and lazy. Readers tend to get lost on the way or need to re-read the content.

Unnecessarily bigger fonts tend to create a shouting effect.

The display of fonts also depends on the background color.

Tone of the content

Just as speaking out the same sentence in different tones convey different meanings, similarly, the pitch and tone of the web content also has its effects. The right tone helps to build trust. It shows the expression of the people behind the brand. Like color, it also has a persuasive and influencing power. The content of your website needs a good background work. Before deciding how to write, it is important to decide what to write. For achieving the correct tone of content for the brand, the following tips are worth considering:

- Decide what is to be said

- Remember who you are talking to, how much time they have, how old they are etc.

- Divide the content into smaller chunks. Do not overuse bold, italics or highlights. This confuses the reader.

- Read out the written content aloud. Decide if you would talk to this person in this way.

- Avoid the passive, it sounds weaker, less direct, informal and less confident.

-Get straight to the point. Start with the important facts first, followed by its broader base.

- Use 'you' with less emphasis on 'we, we and we'.

- Use commonly used words which are used to search. Make yourself searchable through your content.

- There are no excuses for poor spelling and grammatical errors. Sloppy spellings make you look unprofessional and lousy.

Conclusion

Research plays a very important role in designing the invisible aspect of the website. Every project needs a certain level of research, no matter how common the project is. Ask questions and prepare the rationale behind each of your design decision to explain your story and how it is relevant to the target audience. Your website design will be as strong as your rationale.

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