In a digital environment moving toward more personalized experiences, there are unfortunately still some websites that prioritize its own objectives over a user-centered design. These sites mistakenly begin designing their site before considering how users will interact with it. A user-focused approach, on the other hand, employs the exact opposite strategy. This way of thinking recognizes the need to think about the end user right from the beginning. In user-centered design, the website is designed based upon a clear understanding of the user in an attempt to improve the overall user experience. User-Centered Design User-centered design, or UCD, is part of an iterative design process that prioritizes the user’s needs during each phase of the design process. The UCD approach in web design traditionally involves four distinct phases, repeated several times over. To start, web designers attempt to gain a clear understanding of their users and their motivations in visiting their site. Once that is determined, designers can identify the most effective strategies to satisfy those users. Now designers can move into their bread and…
As competition between brands grows fierce within the digital space, the focus on user experience has become more prominent than ever before. In web design, the visual elements play an active role in supporting the user journey. Various design techniques often emerge and, along with creating more attractive interfaces, prove influential in a user’s decision-making process. Flat design is one trend that stands out in responsive web design, focusing on improving the functionality and overall usability of an interface. The Basics of Flat Design At its core, flat design is all about enhancing usability and visual harmony. Flat design has gained popularity in web design over the past few years, especially in relation to mobile and app design. Because of its focus on ease of use and overall functionality of elements, this minimalist design technique is a good solution for mobile-based interfaces. As the name suggests, flat design employs only “flat,” two-dimensional elements throughout a visual composition. With its roots in mid-twentieth century Swiss style, its basic features include simple shapes, bright colors, dramatic contrast,…
Striking visual design is all about balance. In web design, this visual balance can be achieved provided that each element within the user interface (UI) has an appropriate amount of space and prominence. Intentional treatment of negative space can offer a stunning visual impact and contribute to a seamless user experience (UX). Negative space, also called white space, is a fundamental design element describing the areas between different elements within a design. Although the name may suggest emptiness, these areas are often quite active and vital to the visual composition. Negative space can work to focus the user’s attention and allow them to process the information on the page quickly and easily. Visual Overload Designers may be tempted to pack a web page with a variety of styles and interactive elements. In doing so, a designer may hope to accomplish several tasks simultaneously and display their range of skills. In terms of usability however, this approach is rarely productive. When a web page is congested with too many elements, it often leads to confusion. This…
Make no mistake that fluid, unified web design is an irreplaceable factor in the “big picture” of brand strategies for conversion and retention. There’s a ton of noise out there. Ambitious, emerging brands across a wide range of categories are saturating the marketplace like crazy. It’s no surprise that it takes more than a few impressions for people to remember a brand. The reality is that, for online audiences, marketing messaging, promotional information and other mission-laden content can get lost in the shuffle rather easily. Cohesive design intends on assisting brands with amplification of that messaging and having the firepower to echo through that noise. It can deliver results and be a driver for coveted visibility, when plenty of serviceable options exist. Perhaps more than anything, it weighs heavily on a brand’s propensity to be understood. Or, without justification, it can be remarkably complex. Decoding several layers of user engagement online has long been a tricky puzzle to piece together. What’s clear about this engagement is that users most certainly wish to journey in complete…
For many people, their mobile device is considered a necessity. In fact, most people don’t leave their house without it. Since most of us have our phones on us at all times, it makes sense that we also use them when going online. As mobile usage continues to increase around the world, embracing a mobile-first design can be a highly effective strategy for your website. What is Mobile-First Design? Contrary to popular belief, a mobile-first approach is not the same as responsive design. While the two concepts can go hand-in-hand, they are in fact two distinct methodologies. A website that is responsive adapts automatically to fit the size of the screen it is presented on. The design process typically starts at the maximum resolution (desktop), and then progressively scales down to the smallest resolution (mobile). Although an effective responsive design strategy considers all resolutions throughout the entire process, the design is normally focused on the desktop resolution before mobile is considered. Mobile-first design, on the other hand, starts the process on mobile, then expands for…
We are living in a digitally-driven world. As society moves further into this digital space, brands are compelled to follow its lead and boost their presence online. A comprehensive digital strategy seeks to optimize all the potential touchpoints with the brand throughout the customer journey online. These various components, when executed effectively, work in conjunction with one another to help shape consumer perceptions and strengthen the brand. 1. Mobile-Friendly Website Above all else, your website is fundamental to your digital strategy. While it establishing this presence is an essential first step, it is not enough to just put something out there never to think of again. Your website needs to be adaptable to grow with your business and with your consumers. Even more importantly, it needs to be user-friendly with a responsive web design to be compatible with mobile devices along with a desktop. Over 50% of consumers used their phones to searching online in 2018 alone. As this number is sure to increase, you should ensure a positive user experience (UX) by making sure…
In any design, color is highly significant. We often think of color as purely aesthetic, used only to please the eye or “look pretty.” But in actuality, its function goes beyond artistic expression. In fact, color combinations play a major role in web design, effectively setting the tone and communicating a site’s purpose. Although colors certainly do add to the visual appeal of a website, a good designer chooses them with careful intention. Considering a site’s objectives, specific color combinations can be used to generate higher rates of conversion and craft a better overall user experience (UX). Speaking With Color Combinations First and foremost, a website is meant to communicate. Whether intending to educate its audience or encourage a particular set of actions, there is some sort of message to be gained by visiting the site. Color can be an effective communication tool, setting the overall tone with which you can build your message. Studies in color psychology suggest that colors can be used to effect certain emotions. For example, tones of red can be…
In the Age of Information, a brand’s vision is only as powerful as the content representing it. Users are tasked with deciphering several layers of messaging, ranging from social media platforms to paid advertising to descriptive text, to help them make educated decisions about whether or not a brand clicks with their objectives. The journey to understanding is an uphill battle that’s only becoming steeper, with diminishing user attention spans a well-documented reality. An assortment of user personas leave consumers processing different information in all kinds of ways. With face-to-face engagement opportunities largely decimated this year, such as for industries like QSR or hospitality, the impact and brevity of digital channels is certainly under a microscope. A unified website can be relied upon as a trusted source of brand clarity, carrying an element of permanence that’s built to reflect a core vision. Ultimately, to convert users, clear articulation of a mission and purpose is what matters. Alas, the importance of wireframing cannot be underestimated. Wireframing (or “prototyping”) is a visual representation of an interface that…
Our society is continually inspired by innovation. As we seek new trends, brands strive to stay ahead of the game and offer the next “big thing.” Design sprints give brands the opportunity to test ideas with consumers before development, ensuring the final product achieves the greatest impact. The challenge with designing a new product often lies in understanding. A brand may seize on a potential opportunity, launching into a full product development project without having a full grasp on the problem they are trying to solve or on the needs of their consumers. Utilizing sprints can help fill this gap. The Solution: Design Sprints The traditional strategy for launching a new product or service is a siloed process that can span across several months. In this method, each new phase is addressed only upon the completion of the previous phase. The challenge with this approach is that the inflexible structure doesn’t allow you to go back for quick adjustments. By the time of launch, the brand may discover that the product or service is flawed…
With a crisp breeze circulating through the Windy City, summer is in the air. As 2020’s halftime rolls around, with brands again shining on full display, the seasonal shift has a way of reminding us that the world of fashion cannot and will not stand still. Fashion is a category with enormous consumer spending implications and little margin for error (or ordinary) as the space clutters. The essence of brand loyalty is always earned and always fluid, but never guaranteed, especially for consumers as fickle as Millennials or Generation Z. Fashion has become less and less about wow-ing consumers with transactional promises, and more about triggering consumers behaviorally by inviting an aura of invincibility while brokering a tangible connection that’s driven by emotion. Cohesive, unified design is a catalyst for purpose-driven fashion brands with lofty visions of community impact and eye-catching cross-cultural collaborations shaping the category’s trajectory. Design’s roots in fashion are formidable, with aforementioned younger generations gravitating towards icons like design wizard Virgil Abloh or beloved Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield. McKinsey & Company’s…