The Web can carry a whole plethora of media – video, audio, interactive apps, social media – but ‘reading text’ is still by far, the dominant method for engagement and publishing information on the Web.
But what if your text is difficult to read, or simply just poorly designed and uninviting?
Unlike most other visual media, “one size fits all” doesn’t work for web design, as it has to adapt to a whole range of different viewing scenarios.
Perhaps you’ve been actively encouraged to include ‘showy’ animation on your website – after all it is an easy sell. Naturally you might be initially impressed by a web designer showing all these wonderful animated ‘slides’ and ‘fades’ you could have on your site. Dare we say, with that “sales pitch” you might be more inclined to use their services?
What you might be less aware of – is how excessive animation can have a enormous detrimental effect on your website.
‘Website Navigation’ is a term used to encompass the simple idea of how visitors are able to find the things they are looking for on your website. In the context of ‘professional’ web design, it’s about how to make this task as easy as possible for those using your website. The User Experience (UX).
When we design websites, usability is always our top priority, above all else. But it’s shocking how many websites we see, where usability hasn’t been given a second thought.
Usability is intrinsic to good web design. If your website’s usability is poor – your website has been poorly designed.
Like it or not, the way your website looks is extremely important. Scientific research has shown that, even before a single word of text is read, the first ‘impression’ the website visitor gets, is entirely a visual one.