All about website layout
article discussing website layout
Website design layout
There is one simple fact that you need to digest before you look at filling your site with content.
Users are by nature, lazy.
Users don’t want to read through large areas of text. We only scan pages, we don’t actually read them.
We may take a glance at large areas of text and pick out a few words. If the content seems interesting we may read further, but large areas of text are off putting for users and are rarely pursued any further.
Hopefully that rule doesn’t apply to this document!
It is for this reason that designers are encouraged to break the text up into sections, perhaps using quote boxes.
What you want to do is draw your reader’s attention to the important points, using colour and headings to draw their eye through the natural progression of your sites content.
Group related information together. By using headings and creating a visual hierarchy, you are cutting down on the amount of text and making it easier to understand.
Use headings to catch the reader’s attention,
to draw them into your text. Some of the best sites actually have very little text, but use headings as links to more information if the user is interested, keeping the main page free from clutter. If someone is interested in a particular topic, they will follow the links to find more information.
Make it obvious what is clickable and stick to convention.
Be careful where you use underline, as it is standard for links to be underlined and this can be confusing for users.
These are all basic, common sense things that most designers already know. The difficult bit is actually incorporating them into your site, designing to enhance your users experience when they visit your site. They are absolutely crucial in an e-commerce shop, where sales are important and confused users will simply leave.
It is often hard to see your site from the perspective of a user who doesn’t have the benefit of your in depth knowledge of your site.
Watch how a variety of people approach your site, and it will teach you a lot about how they think, how they work their way through the site and the common mistakes that users make.
Websites are interactive information giving tools, and you should ultimately always design with the end user in mind.
DoodleIT Website Design
