Web Design

Web design is a Web development process for creating a website that focuses on aesthetic factors like layout, user interface and other visual imagery in order to make the website more visually appealing and easy to use. Web design makes use of various programs and tools in order to achieve the intended look, such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop and many others. In order to create a winning design, Web designers need to think about their audience, the purpose of the website and the visual appeal of the design.

Most websites are created by using a coded language called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In order for a website to be successfully displayed on the client browser, it needs to follow the rules of this language. HTML tags identify the website’s content for every page. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is then used to define the overall visual appearance of each page. The result is based on the combination of these elements. Hand coding can be taxing for some designers so some opt to use programs like Adobe Dreamweaver.

Elements of Web Design

Web design uses many of the same key visual elements as all types of design such as:

Layout: This is the way the graphics, ads and text are arranged. In the web world, a key goal is to help the view find the information they seek at a glance. This includes maintaining the balance, consistency, and integrity of the design.

Colour: The choice of colours depends on the purpose and clientele; it could be simple black-and-white to multi-coloured design, conveying the personality of a person or the brand of an organization, using web-safe colours.

Graphics: Graphics can include logos, photos, clipart or icons, all of which enhance the web design. For user friendliness, these need to be placed appropriately, working with the colours and content of the web page, while not making it too congested or slow to load.

Fonts: The use of various fonts can enhance a website design. Most web browsers can only read a select number of fonts, known as "web-safe fonts", so your designer will generally work within this widely accepted group.

Content: Content and design can work together to enhance the message of the site through visuals and text. Written text should always be relevant and useful, so as not to confuse the reader and to give them what they want so they will remain on the site. Content should be optimized for search engines and be of a suitable length, incorporating relevant keywords.