What Goes into designing a website
Web design is a concept that has only been around for a short while. In fact, the first website wasn’t even created until a few decades ago. Since then, there have been many different iterations of what a website can be and how it can function.
The term “web design” is actually quite broad and can encompass a lot of different aspects, skills, and disciplines that are used in the production and maintenance of websites. For example, web design may include web graphic design; interface design; authoring, including standardized code and proprietary software; user experience design; and search engine optimization.
what is web design
Web design is a process of creating a website. This includes the design of the website’s layout, colors, fonts, and images. Web designers use their creativity and artistic skills to come up with a layout that is both visually appealing and easy to use.
In order to design a website, there are a few things that you need to know. The first is that web design is not just about making something look pretty. It’s also about making it functional and easy to use.
You also need to think about the user experience. What is the user going to do on the website? What kind of information are they looking for? How can you make it easy for them to find what they need? And for bonus points, you need to think about SEO. How can you make sure that your website shows up high in search engine results?
UX In web design
A brief note about UX design before we move on. User experience (UX) design is a process that can be used in web design, but it’s not the same thing.
Whereas web design is focused on the look and feel of the website, UX design is focused on how easy it is to use the website. It’s all about making sure that users can find what they need (navigation, calls-to action, speed) and do what they want to do without any friction.
Both web design and UX design are important, but for this post we’re going to focus more on the web design side of things.
how to make a good web design
In order to make what’s considered a “good” web design, you’ll need to focus on a few different aspects. To start, consider the important factors which include; colors used, navigation, functionality and layout.
Site layout
The layout of your website is important for two reasons. First, it needs to be easy to use. Second, it needs to look good.
When it comes to the first point, easy to use means that users should be able to easily find what they’re looking for. This includes things like navigation, search boxes, and calls-to-action. Layout also refers to the overall look and feel of the website. This includes things like color scheme, fonts, and images.
design elements
Once you have the layout sorted out, you can start thinking about design elements. This is where you can get creative and have some fun with your website.
There are a few different things to think about when it comes to design elements. First, you need to consider your color scheme. What colors do you want to use on your website? Second, you need to think about fonts. What kind of font do you want to use? And third, you need to consider images. What kind of images do you want to use?
If you’re designing the website yourself, there are a few key topics that you might want to look into. Here are a few of the big ones:
web design color theory
When it comes to web design, color is an important factor to consider. Different colors can evoke different emotions and reactions from users, so it’s important to choose the right colors for your website.
There are a few different theories about color that you should know about. The first is the color wheel. The color wheel is a circle that shows the relationships between different colors. It can be used to create color schemes for your website.
The second theory is called the three-color rule. The three-color rule states that a website should use no more than three colors. These colors should be evenly spaced around the color wheel, and they should all work together to create a cohesive look. If you’re designing the website yourself, you might also want to look into the concept of color ratios, specifically the 60-30-10 rule.
The 60-30-10 rule is a guideline that states that 60% of the color on a website should be a dominant color, 30% should be a secondary color, and 10% should be an accent color. This rule can be helpful when you’re trying to create a visual layout or mockup.
website design fonts
Fonts are another important aspect of web design. The font that you choose for your website can have a big impact on how users perceive your website.
There are a few things to consider when it comes to fonts. First, you need to make sure that the font is legible. This means that users should be able to read the text on your website without any difficulty. Second, you need to make sure that the font is appropriate for the tone of your website. And third, you need to make sure that the font works well with the rest of your design.
When it comes to legibility, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you need to make sure that the font is the right size. Second, you need to make sure that the font has enough contrast with the background color. And third, you need to make sure that the font is easy to read.
As for tone, different fonts can set different tones for a website. For example, a serif font like Times New Roman might be seen as more formal, while a sans serif font like Arial might be seen as more casual.
A helpful tip for your design purposes might be to look into font-pairing tools. Font-pairing is the process of choosing two fonts that work well together (as not all do). There are many generators or online resources for font pairing that a quick Google search will take care of as you explore your options.
How long does it take to design a website
The short answer is that it depends.
If you’re designing the website yourself, and are just starting your design journey, it will take longer than if you hire a professional to do it for you. The amount of time it takes also depends on the size and complexity of the website. A simple website might only take a few hours to design, while a more complex website might take days or even weeks.
It’s important to note that designing a website is just one part of the equation. Once you’ve designed the website, you also need to build it. This process will vary depending on the website requirements, client revision requests and more.
how much does it cost to design a website
The total cost of designing a website is going to depend on a lot of different factors. If you’re designing the website yourself, then the cost is going to be lower than if you hire a professional to do it for you.
The cost also depends on the size and complexity of the website. A simple website might only cost a few hundred dollars to design, while a more complex website might cost thousands.
And finally, the cost also depends on the platform that you use to build the website. If you use a platform like WordPress or Squarespace, then the cost is going to be lower than if you use a more custom platform.
If you do hire a professional to do the job, you’ll most likely be faced with two routes. Either hire a full-scale agency which will come with a heftier price tag but also offer additional services, or hire a freelance web designer which will be more affordable but you might not have access 24/7.
To give you a more accurate estimate, we’ve outlined some average costs below:
-Simple website: $500 – $2,000
-Complex website: $2,000 – $10,000
-Ecommerce website: $2,500 – $25,000
These are just averages and your actual cost could be more or less depending on the factors mentioned above. There are of course also hybrid routes, learning to do it yourself with the assistance of an agency or freelancer. This route is good for individuals that want to learn to manage their own designs and be able to edit the content in the future.
Quite often, larger agencies will lock down the website they design for you making it nearly impossible for you to make any changes yourself without expensive fees.
At the end of the day, you need to decide what route is best for you and your business and then find someone that can help bring your vision to life.
learn how to design a website
If you want to build and design your own site, there are plenty of options available to you. You can find many guides and tutorials online that will walk you through the process step-by-step. Additionally, there are also many software programs available that make website design easy, even for beginners.
Once you’ve decided to take on the task of designing your own website, the first step is to choose a platform. This is the software that you’ll use to build and design your site. The most popular platforms are WordPress, Squarespace and Wix.
In fact, this entire website was built using WordPress.
how to design a wordpress website
If you want to use WordPress to design your website, I might recommend using a page building software such as Beaver Builder, Divi or Elementor. This will make the design process much easier and faster, especially if you’re a beginner.
Quite often, these page builders are set up so that you don’t need to know code in order to create a beautiful design. They often come with pre-built templates and drag and drop features that make designing a website easy.
My personal recommendation, and what I’ve used to build and manage this entire site, is Elementor. It’s what I recommend to all my students over in the learning department and it’s the software that I think offers the best bang for your buck.
While you can find free WordPress themes, I generally don’t recommend them because they often come with very limited features and customization options. This might be fine if you’re just starting out, but as your business grows, you’ll likely want to upgrade to a paid theme or a custom design.
Additionally, free WordPress themes are often not well coded which can lead to performance issues down the road. It’s always better to invest in a quality design from the beginning.
If you want to learn more about how to use WordPress and Elementor to design your website, I have an entire series dedicated to this topic and offer tutoring. My recommendation first however is to do some research on the different options at your disposal and see what fits in your budget.
creative web design is easier than you think
Web design doesn’t have to be a scary task. With the right platform and some creativity, you can create a beautiful website for your business without breaking the bank.
There are many different options available to you, from simple DIY solutions to more complex custom designs. It all depends on your needs and budget. If you have any questions or want to be pointed in the right direction, feel free to strike up a conversation and I’d be glad to chat.
