What Is Web Design? Here’s How to Do It Right

By simple dictionary definition of web design is "the design of websites that are displayed on the internet. It refers to the user experience aspects of web development." In reality, it's so much more.

Well-done web design is the visual elements of your website, sure. But it's also what grabs the attention of your target audience, the selection of color schemes, and a whole host of other attributes. Web design is complex, but also really, really exciting. To understand web design, here’s what you need to know.

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What Is Web Design?

The first site was published in 1991 and there are now over one billion live websites on the internet. While a web site used to be a novelty, creating a website is now one of the essential pillars of a brand's online presence. It's hard to even imagine a successful business in 2022 not having a website.

Simply having a website isn't enough, though. You need a good website and that is the product of a website design team who knows the value of a collaborative process. Website design in and of itself the visual, graphic design of a particular web page. It's how a website looks, not necessarily how it works. Good web design includes aspects like color scheme, graphics, fonts, images, and style while web development is more concerned with coding languages, cascading style sheets, html and css, or loading time.

It is important to note that the best websites are more than visual designs. They combine knowledge and tools from other aspects of digital marketing, ranging from website design statistics to SEO optimization and UX design. 

Consider the user experience (UX) of calls to action. What color the button will be is decided upon by the web design team. What the button says is created by content writers. Where the button goes is handled by web developers. Each aspect is incredibly important towards getting someone to click and moving them along to be a customer.

Types of Web Design

Not all web design is the same, of course. There are a number of different types of web design. These include:

Single Page Websites

These are websites that convey all of their information on a single webpage. That doesn't mean they're short on information. The one page can be as long as the web designer wants. The visitor scrolls down in order to see all the information. If you opt for this type of design, you will want to use a linear journey or narrative to create a natural flow to the information.

Responsive Design Websites

A responsive website design changes its layout and display of information depending on the screen size. It "responds" to the device the visitor is using to look at it. Whether the website is being viewed on a mobile device or a computer browser, the webpage will wrap text and scale images in order to fill any size screen and make it easy to read.

Scalable Design Websites

Optimizing for mobile devices is an essential aspect of creating a website. This type of design behaves similarly to a responsive design, but doesn't manipulate the layout of the page depending on the size of the screen. Rather, the design itself shrinks or stretches the entire webpage to fit the size of the chosen window.

Web Design Element to Incorporate

There are a number of principles of design that must be applied to websites in order for them to be visually appealing and user friendly. Digital artists and graphic designers reference the principles of design to outline the visual qualities an ideal composition should have. This includes principles like:

  • Balance
  • Contrast
  • Emphasis
  • Movement
  • Rhythm
  • Hierarchy
  • White Space
  • Unity

Implementing these principles to web design can help a website achieve a harmonious look and feel. You can learn more about these principles in-depth in our blog, Make Your Business Website Stand Out With Web Design.

The world of web design is as dynamic as it was back in 1991, perhaps even more so because the competition is more fierce than ever before. Best practices of website design are constantly evolving in order to meet the growing needs of potential visitors. Creating mobile apps or excelling in user friendly interface design isn't something you'll be able to do on your own.

When your competitors’ websites are updated and trendy, they raise the standard within the Dallas market. Don't get left behind!

Now that you know what web design is, it’s time for you to count on the professional designers at The Old State. A custom website made by the industry's top professional tells your potential customers that you know what you're doing, and you're the best at what you do. You want your website to give them a great first impression, and nothing less will do. That is precisely what we can do for you.