How to Determine If Your Website Design is Effective?

Does the website have a Clear and Concise Layout?

A clear and concise layout is essential for any website to ensure users can easily navigate and find the information they need. A cluttered or confusing layout can quickly turn users away. A clear layout should prioritize important information and make use of white space to give the website a clean, organized look. For example, the website for Apple's iPhone uses a simple and clear layout with a focus on product images and features: https://www.apple.com/iphone/.

Is the Navigation intuitive and easy to use?

Intuitive navigation is crucial for any website. Users should be able to easily find what they're looking for and quickly navigate to different pages. Navigation menus should be clear and consistent across all pages, and important pages should be prominently displayed. A good example of intuitive navigation is the website for Airbnb, which features clear and easy-to-use navigation menus: https://www.airbnb.com/.

Is the Color Scheme appropriate for the Website's purpose and target audience?

Color plays an important role in the design of any website, as it can impact the user's emotions and perception of the brand. The color scheme should be appropriate for the website's purpose and target audience. For example, a website aimed at children might use bright, playful colors, while a website for a law firm might use more subdued, professional colors. A good example of effective use of color is the website for Trello, which features a bright and playful color scheme: https://trello.com/.

Does the Website have a Consistent Design style throughout all pages?

Consistency is key when it comes to web design. Users should be able to easily recognize the brand and the website's purpose across all pages. A consistent design style should include elements like typography, colors, and layout. For example, the website for Dropbox has a consistent design style throughout all pages, with a focus on simplicity and ease-of-use: https://www.dropbox.com/.

Is the Website's Typography legible and appropriate for the content?

Typography is another important design element that can impact the user's experience. Fonts should be legible and appropriate for the content. Headings should be clear and easy to read, while body text should be sized and spaced for optimal readability. A good example of effective use of typography is the website for Medium, which features clean, easy-to-read typography: https://medium.com/.

Is the Website's Imagery High Quality and Relevant to the content?

Images can enhance the user's experience and help to communicate the website's purpose. Images should be high quality and relevant to the content. For example, a website for a photography studio might feature high-quality images of the studio's work, while a website for a restaurant might feature images of the restaurant's food and atmosphere. A good example of effective use of imagery is the website for Squarespace, which features high-quality images of its customers' websites: https://www.squarespace.com/.

Is the Website's use of Multimedia Elements (such as videos and animations) effective and appropriate?

Multimedia elements can add interest and engagement to a website, but they should be used appropriately and effectively. Videos and animations should enhance the user's experience and not detract from it. A good example of effective use of multimedia elements is the website for Nike, which features engaging videos and animations that showcase the brand's products: https://www.nike.com/.

Does the Website Load quickly and Perform well on different devices and screen sizes?

Website performance is critical to user experience. The website should load quickly and perform well on different devices and screen sizes. A slow or poorly performing website can quickly frustrate users and turn them away.

The Art of Evaluating Website Design: Tips and Tricks

Image Sizes:

How many different image sizes are there across the site?

How many different aspect ratios do the images have?

Is there any commonality between images?

Where can we reuse an image?

In which area of the site can we use each image style?

If there is no obvious pattern, it is important to articulate the benefits of using standardized image styles to the designer. These benefits include improved performance and an improved editor experience.

It is important to remember that, with a responsive design, images will usually stretch to fill a space. Therefore, image styles will generally set an image to its maximum required width. The most important consideration when working with images is aspect ratio. If all the images have the same aspect ratio, then the implementation of a design becomes much simpler.

Content Order:

In a responsive site, content chunks flow around each other and jump below other content to accommodate smaller screen widths.

Designs for smaller screens may not take into account this flow of content, resulting in content order that doesn't match up with the desktop design.

If not addressed, it can turn into a larger problem that eats into your budget.

Adapting to Long Titles in Web Design:

Web design often involves creating layouts with short and concise titles and teaser text. However, in the real world, editors may have to work with longer titles that don't fit into the pre-determined design layout.

To account for this, it's important to consider how the design can adapt to longer titles. Designers should ask about the maximum title length and how the text will flow on the web. They should also consider the impact of long titles on smaller screens.

Without accounting for longer titles, the design may break when editors are given content they cannot control. This can lead to a poor user experience and frustration for both editors and users. By being proactive and considering the potential for longer titles early on in the design process, designers can create a more flexible and adaptable design.

Large, Full Screen Background Images:

Before using large, full screen background images, consider whether it's really necessary. Determine the file size in kilobytes and whether it's worth the extra page weight. Can the weight of the image be reduced by blanking out the area where the content will live? It's important to think about performance and the value of the background image, as well as how it will appear on small screens. Keep in mind that mobile users will also have to download the image, which can affect page load time.

Fonts:

Before finalizing the font choices for your design, consider the following questions:

What fonts are in use? Are they special?

Is there a cost associated with them?

Do they have all the necessary characters in the font? (e.g. ampersand, special characters)

Have you informed the client about any potential costs associated with the font choices?

Where are web fonts in use? Are they just for headings or also for body text?

How much does the font add to the page weight?

Can you use a subset of the font to reduce the weight?

Do you need bold, italic and other variations of the font?

Answering these questions will help you make informed decisions about the font choices for your design, ensuring that they are suitable for the project and the client's needs, as well as taking into account potential performance and accessibility issues.