Introduction to Web Design is an article aimed to anyone who want to start designing for the web. Have you ever wondered how the world's most popular websites are designed? Websites like Google, YouTube, and Amazon have made it so that users can find the information they need in seconds. The reason for this success? Design. When done well, is a seamless combination of graphics, colors, text, and navigational elements. The result? A positive first impression that keeps users coming back for more. Read this article to get a quick introduction to the fundamentals of design, UX, UI and additional resources you will need to familiarize in order to become a trusted source of digital design. From an overview of the different design disciplines to a look at the processes involved in creating a website, you'll learn how to create a well-designed site that users will love. What is it all about? Before diving into the nitty-gritty, it's important to understand what design is. First off, let's clarify that the word "design" can encompass a number of different disciplines, such as graphic design, advertising, architecture, and interior design. "Web design," however, is a broad term that refers to the creation of websites and that of user experience design in general. Digital design can involve a variety of disciplines to create the site's visual elements, such as graphics, animations, and photos, taken from stock photography websites like Shutterstock. These visual elements are then combined with strategizing about the site's content, such as the articles that will appear on the site, and the navigational elements, such as how the menu should appear on the site's home page. Digital design is what runs the internet and the marketing around it Digital design is one of the most important parts of any internet business. A poorly designed website could turn away potential customers with low engagement, low trust, and low product reviews. On the other hand, a well-designed website could increase brand equity and loyalty. Define What You Want to See One of the first steps in designing a website is defining what you want to see. This can be done in a variety of ways. You got a rough idea or... can you vision it in full? For example, you may have a general idea of the types of products that you sell or services that you offer. Or, you may have a particular inspiration for what a certain type of website should look like. One rule of thumb that we always encourage people to follow is that to have a look at other websites' first and see what they good work has brought into life. You don't have to copy them, just take some inspiration. Careful with your preliminary planning and structuring You might be surprised in ho many things you might find that you had not taken in consideration during your preliminary planning and structuring for your new website. By looking at what your competitors have achieved you can find things that you might want to have on your website and also you have already got a confirmation that they look good, so it is a win win for you. Sketch Before You Build Once you have a clear picture of your website's content, graphics, and navigational elements, it's time to sketch. Sketching is a fundamental part of design, because it enables you to test the effectiveness of your ideas. A sketch can be as simple as a drawing or as complex as a computer program that lets you test different layouts. Increase your chances of finding problem before designing your site You should sketch before you build because it will increase your chances of finding problems with the site's design. For example, if you only build a website, you won't be able to test how well the site looks. Sketching allows you to see how the design works before you have to deal with the issues that come with building a site. Choose a Framework Once you have a design that you are satisfied with, you will have to create a code version of your website. In other words, you will have to write the HTML and CSS code that drives your site. There are many options when it comes to frameworks, but all of them serve a common purpose: they help developers create websites quickly and easily. There are several good options for website frameworks. The most popular options are Bootstrap, Foundation, and Saffron. You could also use WordPress Obviously there is also options for Content Management System such as WordPress that will allow you not to code your pages, however, a site entirely made by yourself HTML/CSS is not only unique (as you did not use a template available to the general public) but also much faster and lighter in terms of SEO and Google page speed. Learn the Basics of HTML HTML is a markup language that is used to create websites. Before diving into CSS, it's essential that you know the basics of HTML. The most important thing to know about HTML is that it's a language that has a specific structure. This structure allows you to describe the content of your website using a combination of tags. For example, if you were designing a website for an online jewelry store, you would include the following tags within your website's code: - H1 heading - H2 heading - Paragraph - Image - Table - Blockquote - A (anchor) - C (link)...and so on. Stay up to Date with CSS Most frameworks come with minimal setup options for CSS. As a result, many developers rely on the CSS that accompanies a framework. This can be a problem if you're designing a site that requires customizations, such as adding a certain class to certain elements on the page. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up sending all of your users to the website's homepage. Learn from the web development communities To stay up-to-date with the latest CSS techniques, it's important to sign up for web development communities like StackExchange or W3 Schools. In particular, be sure to follow the CSS-related discussions on Reddit's CSS subforum. In there, you will find advice from professionals on how to design the most effective web pages. Introduction to Web Design: Ways to Learn If you're a visual learner, one of the best ways to learn design is to read up on it. While a physical book may be a better option, most are outdated by the time they're published. Luckily, there are many eBooks you can download from various websites for free. Not only do these eBooks contain information about design and development, but they also make learning fun and convenient. Take a free online course Alternatively, you can opt to take a free online courses from a university or an experienced digital designer. These courses are free and offer varying levels of difficulty to suit different learning styles. They also include discussion forums where you can get the answers to your questions and get valuable feedback from fellow students. You can also find a good instructor online who can offer remote training if you're interested. Lastly, read as many blogs as you can on your chosen topic. So many resources online There are many free, award-winning websites where you can learn HTML, CSS, and other coding languages. By knowing HTML, you can enhance your work as a designer. CSS, on the other hand, is used to make websites look beautiful and colorful. While learning to code is not a requirement for a successful web designer, it will be helpful. In fact, you may find it easier to design a website if you already know CSS, especially today when responsive design is a must. What a web designer does in real life? As a web designer, you will need to have a strong eye for design and the ability to work with color, image, and fonts. You will also need to be able to communicate and clarify issues with others. Your final product should satisfy your client's needs, and you will have to meet deadlines and budgets. Web designers work with a team to make sure their work is perfect. Some web designers even train their colleagues. Knowing to code is not actually 'essential" Unlike developers, web designers do not always have to know how to code; they only focus on aesthetics and usability. They use graphics design software, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Inkscape. They may also use text editors, command-line interfaces, and version controls to create their work. They may be responsible for maintaining websites' analytics. They also create and edit mockup files. What Does a Freelancer do? Apart from creating and maintaining a website, freelancers in this field performs marketing strategies and additional design work. They also recommend design strategies for clients and create marketing collateral's. They might specialize in WordPress websites and will teach their clients how to update their website. They will also guide them on how to use social networking websites, and they will help them to manage their social media accounts. Finally, they will help clients setup SEO and E-Commerce sites and develop various marketing campaigns for their clients. A freelancer will also have to manage a portfolio of projects and develop relationships with new clients. They must keep tight deadlines and resolve scheduling conflicts. They should also be capable of tracking accounting information. Some of the very top freelance can afford to hire an accountant, but the majority handle all of this responsibility themselves. A freelancer success depends on its experience and the skill level. It may be difficult to find new clients if you're not active in the industry. What web developers do? A career as a web developer is extremely varied, but there are several common tasks all developers perform. Each day begins with a development team meeting to discuss the previous day's work and the project's schedule for the next week. Skill levels and responsibilities Then, developers spend most of the day writing code for the current project. The responsibilities of a web developer vary based on their skill level, but all code must be uploaded to a central testing server or to GitHub for review. If any bugs are found, web developers must remain responsive and prepared to handle them. Creating interactive websites Many developers have the ability to create interactive websites for companies and consumers. They build website content for blog posts, create infographics, and edit video content for publication. A web developer working for a digital agency may also engage in direct marketing efforts and answer inquiries from clients. They may also be tasked with updating applications and site pages to promote current sales campaigns. UX & UI: Which one is which? The words UX and UI are not mutually exclusive. They are used interchangeably today, but different experts have varying views on their roles. Regardless of their respective roles, it is important to clarify the terms to ensure they are understood. This is especially important in the design of web pages, more than in the contest of web development, since the experience of the user is at the heart of UX. Here are the differences between UX and UI and how they relate to the design of web pages. The flow The user experience is the most important factor in any website or app. It should be designed so that users flow through the app naturally and are not blocked by dead ends. User flows work best when they are centered on the goal of the user, which may be to purchase a product, or to sign up for a newsletter. But it is also important to keep in mind the user's expectations. This way, the user can be guided to a more enjoyable experience. Defining User Interface When designing a website, defining the user interface (UI) is a critical task. An effective UI empowers users, makes navigation simple and straightforward, and emphasizes the product or service. Establishing the profile of the end-user To define a user interface, start by establishing the profile of the end-user. Consider the user's knowledge base and tasks to formulate the UI. Next, identify the user's limitations and capabilities, and make the appropriate representations of these. As the design progresses, consider the information in the requirements specification and other relevant details. From there, the software implementer will work on the appearance and feel of the UI and its support materials. Define the screens that are used to create the interface Once you've identified the components of the UI, define the screens that are used to create the interface. A UX designer will help you visualize these screens and interact with each other based on the user's behavior. Screens are often associated with web browsers, but screens also apply to apps, mobile devices, and browsers. Screens also emphasize changes in resolution, layout, and user behavior. If you are looking for inspiration for a UI, make sure to look around and take a look at other products in your industry. Create a usability specification After you have outlined the characteristics of a user interface, the next step is to create a usability specification. A user interface specification contains several documents that describe the functionality of the device. It is vital to identify the goals of the user before creating an interface, which will help the user interact with it. If the product is not designed with a user-centered design, it will not be effective. The user interface specification will help the developers design a usable device. Quick suggestions: Introduction to Web Design It might seem like a daunting task at first, but once you get the hang of it, designing a website is a breeze. It will take time, trial and error, and perseverance, but you will be well worth the effort. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started: Know your audience This is probably the most important thing you can do when designing a website. Don't design a website for yourself. Design a website for your ideal customer. What are they looking for? What are they struggling with? Use proper grammar and spelling Grammar and spelling are important for both humans and search engines to read. If you don't include proper grammar and spelling in your code, Google will remove your site from their rankings or push it down enough not to be competitive despite your hard work. Create an outline Creating an outline for a website is a great way to organize your ideas. You can use this outline for writing your content, sketching your designs, and choosing the navigational elements you want to include. Frequently asked Questions Where to start to learn web development? You can find a variety of helpful resources on Stack Overflow and Coderwall. You can also learn high-level coding languages using online coding programs. These programs will help you develop a broad range of skills and broaden your web developer repertoire. About the Bootcamps While most web development bootcamps focus on programming languages, there are also many coding bootcamps that teach other technologies as well. A coding bootcamp, for instance, can teach students everything from JS to CSS. It's also a great idea to check out job descriptions to see which technologies are most desired. These courses are an excellent way to pick up on cutting-edge technologies and build professional-level skills. Do I need to know HTML and CSS, or JavaScript? Even though a good designer doesn't, at least in theory, necessarily need to actually code. When it gets in real life and the practicality of everyday work related task and duties a designer will go through continuously....then the answer is actually a big YES. Knowledge is king Put it this way...a good bike rider doesn't necessarily need to be a mechanic, however, knowledge of how the engine works and how to tune-up a bike for best performance will make him an even more experienced rider as he will be able to understand what the team of mechanics and engineers are telling him about the bike and he can also tell them what he feels when he's riding it. A better understanding among the teams You see where this is going? By knowing at least the basics of coding in HTML / CSS and JavaScript he can then ask the Web Dev to change this or that and can be understood better than if he doesn't know anything about coding. Below is a brief intro to the main scripting languages you should be familiar with: HTML HTML is not the only standard used to define scripting languages. In fact, it has sections on script macros and scripting languages. Scripting languages are defined in an external file or in a SCRIPT element. HTML parsers must know how to interpret this data. To ensure that user agents understand scripting languages, they must know what they are. A script engine must also be identified and known to the user agent. Although HTML does not rely on a specific scripting language, authors must explicitly tell user agents what language they want to use to render the content. Document authors may do this through a local or default declaration. While HTML can be written with any text editor, most people prefer to create a webpage in an HTML editor. Then, they can view the file locally or upload it to a web server. Once the file is online, they can view it with a web browser. While HTML works with basic English, it is difficult to display a page with non-English characters or special symbols. In such cases, users must specify the character encoding. For example, utf-8 is the default charset for English. CSS You've probably heard the term "CSS", but what exactly does that mean? Well, CSS (cascade style sheet) is a set of rules that describe the way web pages are presented on the Internet. CSS scripting languages are similar to programming languages in many ways, with some features that make them more useful than others. CSS has many levels and profiles, each building on the one before it. Levels are usually associated with new features or platforms or user interfaces. For example, there are CSS profiles for mobile devices, web browsers, tablets, television sets, large displays, and so forth. With CSS you have the full control of how a web site display colors, fonts, grids and overall layout. JavaScript Scripting languages, also known as "scripting language" or "scripting" for short, allow developers to create interactive, dynamic web applications. These languages can be used in a variety of contexts, including web applications, server-side and client-side systems administration, games and multimedia, and embedded into software applications. The scripting languages also allow developers to create plugins or extensions to existing applications. PHP You've probably heard of PHP. But what is it exactly? It's a simple scripting language used to create interactive and static websites, and all kinds of web applications. PHP files have the ".php" extension and contain PHP tags, making it easy for novices to learn and master. If you're interested in creating your own website, PHP can take command of WordPress. ASP An ASP file contains a sequence of instructions for a server-side script. These instructions are issued sequentially to the Web server and differ from HTML and text. ASP scripts are separated by delimiters, which mark the beginning and end of units. HTML tags are enclosed in greater than and less-than symbols. An ASP script should specify the scripting language it is written in. Typically, ASP files are used for web applications. ASP is a Microsoft-developed technology that enables software developers to build powerful web applications. This technology is cost-effective and easy-to-learn, making it an excellent choice for many applications. It also reduces the coding time and costs associated with application development. So, if you're a beginner, consider learning ASP. There are many advantages to implementing this scripting language. Can I use WordPress to create a website? Sure. You don't necessarily need to go to the code learning route, even if in the long run that might be better. WordPress is a website building tool WordPress is a website building tool that is open-source software and licensed under the GNU General Public License, which means that hundreds of developers work together to make it even better. This open-source spirit promotes accountability, constant improvements, and free-use for everyone. The magic of DIY WordPress also eliminates the need for website owners to learn coding languages. There are thousands of third-party plugins and tools available, including email marketing software, lead generation tools, SEO tools, CRM software, business phone services, and payment gateways. When WordPress does not requires coding knowledge You may be thinking that WordPress requires coding knowledge to use. This is not always the case. WordPress is a powerful website building tool that anyone can use to create a website, with little or no knowledge of code. The software is simple to use and is very popular. It is possible to customize your WordPress website to meet your specific needs. When WordPress requires coding knowledge Getting started in really customizing (when for instance: adding functions to template pages and functionalities that are not part of the core files nor any existing plugins), WordPress do requires some coding knowledge. In order to create a customized theme, you will need to learn PHP and JavaScript. These are two languages that allow dynamic elements of the website to perform actions and to store data as a result into a MySql database stored in your server. This data can later be retrieve it, edited ,saved again or deleted. HTML & CSS knowledge is a big plus HTML and CSS are also required to customize a WordPress starter theme. If you do not already know how to use these languages, you can take a few courses on them. But for most people, learning how to customize WordPress is not that difficult. WordPress is easy to learn almost universally If you're a non-technical person who wants to create a website, WordPress is a wonderful platform. You can learn the basics of the software, or dive into more complex programming if you're feeling ambitious. WordPress allows you to create websites as large or small as you'd like, and there are no hard and fast rules. It is easy to find a good WordPress developer There are times when not matter how hard you try, you just can get things right, we all know that. Do not despair, hiring a WordPress developer can be a challenging task but once you have found a good one, you should keep it handy. You should find someone with the appropriate skills and experience. WordPress developers can create custom content, modules, and plugins for WordPress. They should also know the infrastructure of the platform and have coding abilities. You can also find developers with a great track record on various websites for freelancers such as fiver. Conclusion Design is one of the most important components of any business. A poorly designed website could turn away potential customers with low engagement, low trust, and low product reviews. On the other hand, a well-designed website could increase brand equity and loyalty. In order to ensure that your site has the best chance of succeeding, you need to nail design.
