WAY2WEB: Web Design & business...

The Art of Simplicity

What is the best design element you have seen in a website? Drop shadows? Stars? Shiny buttons? That cool-looking pool of water effect? Modern vector graphics? Gradients? Yes, these are all fancy looking design elements, but there is something much more important.

The white space is the most important design element you could use.

Having a flashy website with all of these "Web 2.0" style design elements is good, but having plenty of clean, open space is good. The best bit is, our white space doesn't even have to be white. It should be something simple, and clean.

Google is probably the best example we can use in this situation. Google has the most basic website design you could possibly find. Yet, everyone likes it, and everyone uses it (when was the last time you met someone who hadn't used Google?).

Cut the Content

We all know content is good. There is nothing more important on a website. However, sometimes too much on one a single page can be a bad thing. A a general rule, I always try to keep the content to one article, and then a few references to others.

Try to also split up the page with photographs, or screen-shots. Have a play around with the images on a page to see how it works. I know that it can take extra effort to find quality photos for each article, but it can be worth it.

Also, stay to the point with whatever you write. I had about four more paragraphs that could have gone into this article, but there simply wasn't space! Yes, honest, I promise!

The power of white

Web design is a balancing act. It is a matter of getting enough white, enough colour, enough background colour, enough text, the right font style, etc. With every website I have designed, I take a look to see what areas of the page aren't balanced out enough. If something is too eye grabbing when it shouldn't, I know I have to tone it down a bit. If there is not enough space on each side of the page, then I know it has to be increased.

White is the most powerful colour on your pallet. If you ever make something that is over crowded, or has no space on it, you can be sure that it will be a pain for the users (you know, the people who actually use the website!). An over crowded website with no breathing space will turn people off going to that site again.

How to improve

When looking to improve the balance of a website, think of every possible aspect and how it can be improved. Here are some tips to consider:

• Menus: Is there enough padding around the text, and is it spaced out enough?
• Text: Is the line-height specified to a large enough value? Is there enough of a margin around each paragraph?
• Headers: Is the graphic content of your header too much? Is it possible to tone down the brightness of it? Are you having the focus on the right things (the logo, and not the pictures)?

• Page Margins: Do you have enough space on either side of each page? There should be plenty of space to move. Check to make sure it looks good on all screen resolutions, too.
• Footer: I always try to give plenty of space at the top and bottom a footer. Is your footer all tied up with too much junk? Try and cut it down to the necessities.

So, try to stick to these rules, and your designs will improve. Always be on the lookout to see what others are doing, as this can help you greatly. Never underestimate the power of the #FFF!