Great website design should focus on two simple truths. That the internet is an interactive platform, and that the end user isn’t Google, Yahoo technicians or even R2D2! It’s a human being just like you.
You site needs to be visually designed to be a human experience that should be enjoyable – not frustrating! As long as you remember that you’re engaging a real person, you and your designer can build the kind of site that people will want to return to.
Understand your user
Find out exactly who they are and what they like. Let’s say you were at a party and wanted to get to know someone better. Obviously your best bet is to listen to them first, then adjust your chat accordingly. It’s the same with your web design!
So - keep your design brief focused on the individual, not the complete demographic. It’s easier to imagine what a typical IFA would like, rather than all IFAs between 20 and 55…
Imagine you’re the user, logging onto your site with coffee in hand before starting a busy day. Do you really want to face a barrage of Flash animation? And are those shades of lilac you’re thinking of going to appeal to a predominately male audience?
Closing the gap between you and your audience can help you tailor the design to their needs – or at least, their preferences.
Keep people engaged!
Is there a more creative way you can present information to increase the user’s involvement?
As broadband expands, so do your options for presenting information through multimedia. And through them, you can offer alternative ways to engage the user, including podcast, streaming web cam, animation, sound and video.
You can invite the user to view supporting fragments of information that interest them. And by telling a story through interaction, users can choose an information trail that’s suited to their preferences.
Remember to keep your use of multimedia balanced – don’t bombard people with options (it can send them scurrying elsewhere and add to your site’s loading time!) but through intelligent use of design and multimedia, you can create a sensory user experience, immersing users in your site and enhancing your company’s message.
Inspire the user
Your site can do a lot more than just present your brand! Tailor your design to enhance it and speak to your brand’s values, whether it’s inspiring, trustworthy, authoritative…or whatever else!
Remember, effective visual design will always give the impression that your site is easy to use, keeping visitors for longer periods. After all, we’re only human, and most of us are psychologically drawn to the aesthetically pleasing.
E-commerce and transactional sites often fail in the design stakes, putting the (essential!) buying path ahead of pure aesthetics. But with the right style, even complicated pages can look simple but inspiring. Design speaks to the emotions, and can instil a sense of calm into even the longest functional pages.
These are the very basics of creating an effective user interface for your website, and above all your watchwords should be clarity, simplicity, accessibility and versatility.
Keep these in mind while you’re working with your web designer – and you’ll make your user feel like they’re being treated as a human being!
James Daniel is a copywriter and MD of EarthMonkey Media, a UK based creative agency specialising in online and offline marketing. For more of James’ tips & tricks, visit ukcopywriting.blogspot.com or sign up for a free monthly newsletter at www.earthmonkey.co.uk.
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