Web Design

Great website design is usable, intuitive & engaging.

Usability is of utmost importance as a website layout is created. A good user interface is then applied with visual (or graphic) design where your colours, images, logos and graphics are added to the layout.

Website content should be compelling, customer-centred & easy to follow.

It is like the person greeting your potential customers at the shop front. It usually combines words, images, video and audio, and the reason your content is so important is because it represents the personality of your company and sells your services.

Now your website can be built and launched by web developers.

Just like an actual building, you need disciplined web developers to ensure no stone is left unturned. Then the website can be launched.

Process

Interface Design > Visual Design > Content > Development > Deployment

Description of terms:

Interaction design (IxD)

is a term that refers to how people interact with a website’s design.

Usability

refers to how easy and logical a website is to use.

Content

refers to all the information you put on your website (words, video, audio etc).

User-centred design

is design that caters to the user (not the web designer or decision maker).

User Interface design (UI)

refers to the website’s layout.

Wireframe

is a sketch or computerised drawing of a website’s layout.

Prototype

is an interactive (but black & white) mock-up of a website’s layout.

Visual design

is where the web designer applies the graphics, images, colours, branding & logo to the wireframes.

User experience design (UX)

is design that is focused on the website’s end user.

HTML/CSS development:

HTML and CSS are two programming languages that web designers use.

Content Management System (CMS)

is a term used to describe a website that can be easily updated by a non-technical person.

Deployment

is the final step and involves testing, installing the website on a hosting server, writing any manuals, conducting training if required, and then launching the website! It should then be submitted to search engines like Google and to galleries and award sites.