When designing a website, the user interface should be one of your priorities. A well designed user interface means that content can be found quickly, and can be structured in such a way through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to load and run dynamically without slowing down the loading times of the pages. In this context, what are some of the different areas that you should be focusing on if you want to get the most out of a website interface for your next project?
Usability should always be the focus when designing an interface, as should functionality so that a page is coded as cleanly as possible for loading. Some of the basic principles of web design, which can include using negative or white space, CSS styling for elements to increase visual style without loading up HTTP requests, and simple JavaScript to ensure that the user experience is as smooth as possible.
Good interfaces can also be customisable, whereby users have the option to adjust colour schemes, hide some content, or change the language of a page without having to rely on external browser support. Integrating interactive features and unobtrusive help buttons and chat windows can also help a page to be easily navigated without having to overload a user with extra tabs and pop-up windows.
Taking a generally minimalist approach to a website’s interface can make it much easier to future proof your basic layout; sketching out what should be on each page before coding can similarly allow you to avoid anything more than the most essential content to be included. A site map can be used to keep content clearly organised if it’s not already marked out on a page. CSS3 properties used with HMTL can also be useful if you want to increase loading times for buttons and styling elements.
Good user interfaces can be familiar without having to be bland or template generated. Remember that users will likely be viewing a site on multiple devices, so make the interface as clean as possible so that it can be negotiated on different screen sizes. Responsive design using CSS3 media queries can be particularly effective at allowing you to set minimum and maximum parameters for screen sizes and the layout of your site.
Ultimately, then, the best user interfaces are all about balancing minimalism with functionality, and creating a markup that’s not going to slow down transitions between pages. Web development companies like Webigence offer examples of how these kinds of clear but functional sites can be created, as well as how you can benefit from optimised images, responsive design, and pages that are suitable for viewing on mobile as well as desktop and laptop screens.
About the Author: Rosette has interests in multiple areas of web design and the best ways to improve site usability.She has been writing about web design for several years, and recommends using companies like Webigence if you want to receive a high quality custom development service for a new project.
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