What does web page design mean?

Web page design is the process of designing or creating websites that can be viewed using the internet. It deals with the look and feel of the website. It comprises several aspects such as web page layout, graphics, typography, color palette, and content. Designers should not only create an attractive website but also ensure that the website serves its purpose.

Elements of web page design

Web page design elements are the building blocks of a web page. They are essential elements of web design since they enhance the user experience. These elements display the information on the page in different ways.

Layout

The layout is how the fonts, graphics, and all the visual content of a web page are arranged. Ideally, the layout of a web page should be simple and easy to navigate. The color palette, fonts, and visuals used in the web page should be consistent throughout the website. Further, the call to action (CTA) and white spaces should be used whenever required. The goal of the layout is to make it easy for the user to find necessary information instantly.

Typography

Typography refers to the fonts used in a website design. Generally, most web browsers cannot read specific fonts. So, it is necessary to use web-safe fonts for every page. Companies also use typography to set their brand image amongst their customers. This helps customers identify the website amidst their competitors.

A good website should have clean typography and satisfy the following requirements:

• The text size should not go beyond 16px.
• The colors should be as per the background color and images.
• There should be enough space between lines to improve readability.

Some of the commonly used fonts in websites are Arial, Baskerville, Times New Roma, Calibri, and Consolas.

Navigation menus

A website consists of menus for easy navigation through its pages. The menus help the user to surf for information quickly. Most websites contain long menus of options. Such menus are easy to navigate, but they consume a lot of space on the screen. Menus can be of different types such as horizontal bars, vertical bars, dropdown menus, and footer menus. One of the commonly used menus is hamburger menus.

Hamburger menus

Hamburger menus are menus with three lines. The menu opens up when the user clicks the three lines or dots and collapses when the lines are clicked again. The menu is often listed horizontally in such menus.

They take less space and can fit in the top corner of any website without hindering the look and feel of the content on the website. Such menus are mostly used in mobile devices since they save space and help in easy navigation. All the leading websites use hamburger menus for easier navigation.

Color

The color scheme plays a crucial role in web page design. A website can be multicolored or black and white. However, the choice of colors generally depends on the purpose of the website. For instance, to give a website a professional look a simple color palette like gray, off-white, and red can be used. Similarly, to give a website an earthy feel, shades of green and brown can be used. 

Furthermore, it is essential to define an eye-catching color palette and follow it throughout the website. The choice of colors should be minimal since too many colors can cause distractions.

Graphics

Graphics on a web page include the logos, hero images, images, illustrations, or icons used on the web design. The primary purpose of these elements is to enhance the user experience. However, while using these elements, it is mandatory to place them correctly, the color should not be distracting, and they should match the context of the web page.

Moreover, the graphics should be high-quality but not too large. If the size of the graphics is too large, it will slow down the loading speed.

Speed optimization

Nobody likes slow websites. A well-designed and successful website loads instantly. It is necessary to optimize the website for speed. If a website takes a long time to load, the user will leave the website and never return. It is the job of the web designer to optimize the website for faster loading. Some of the steps that can improve the speed of a web page are:

• Optimize every image before uploading it to the website.
• Activate compression to reduce file size and open them quickly.
• Reduce HTTP requests in Google Chrome's developer tools.
• Choose a good hosting (shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated server)

SEO optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become extremely popular in today's times. It is because SEO improves the website ranking. Companies often hire SEO experts to handle the SEO part of the website.

These experts add SEO elements such as meta description, title tags, heading tags, and other HTML coding to the website. Though the SEO of the website cannot be visually recognized, it is essential from Google's point of view.

Responsiveness and cross-browser usability

A modern website design is incomplete if it lacks responsiveness or cross-browser support. Most users access websites from mobile devices and tablets. The web designer needs to plan the content to look amazing on all devices and browsers.

Every function and element of the web page should be viewed across all the browsers and work as expected. The responsiveness of a website can be tested using iterative testing.

Importance of website designing

There are several reasons to create a good website design, including:

• It is the first place that the customer visits to learn about a business. So, they will judge the service and products based on their first impression.
• A good website has less bounce rate and ranks higher on search engines.
• It establishes trust between the business and the customer.
• It increases the conversion rate.

Example of a good website design

Consider the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website. The website has a clean, minimalist appearance. The purpose of the website is to provide health and human services to enhance the health of Americans.

The home page which is the first page that loads when a website is visited contains a brief of the website and the heading of the page justifies the purpose of the website. These factors are indicators of a good website. The first section on the homepage of this website spreads awareness about COVID-19 vaccination.

• Color – The website is built using shades of blue. The background is white and the fonts have a blackish tone to give it a professional look.
• Typography – The font used for headings and sub-headings is Roadway.
• Graphics – The website uses high-quality images and illustrations throughout the website to enhance the user experience.
• Menu – The horizontal menu on the top makes navigation easier. Additionally, there is a footer menu to navigate through the website pages.

Context and Applications

Design elements of a web page is an essential concept for students studying:

• Bachelors in Technology (Computer Science)
• Masters in Technology (Computer Science)
• Bachelors in Computer Application
• Masters in Computer Application

Practice Problems

1. How to make a website mobile-friendly?

1. By making it responsive
2. By making it reactive to social media
3. Through fast loading
4. Using visual hierarchy graphics

Answer: Option a

Explanation: For a website to be mobile-friendly, it needs to be responsive. That means the look and feel of the website should persist when the website is accessed from different devices.

2. What is the first page of a website called?

1. Home page
2. Main page
3. Social media page
4. Flat design page

Answer: Option a

Explanation: The first page (landing page) that loads when the URL of a website is entered is the website's home page. This page has an overview of the company or the other pages on the website.

3. Which element of the web design deals with the use of fonts and font style?

1. Navigation menu
2. Graphics
3. Typography
4. Fonts

Answer: Option c

Explanation: Typography refers to the fonts used in a website design. The font style, size, and color must be appropriate to the design of the website.

4. Which of these is a feature of hamburger menus?

1. They have typeface elements
2. They consume less space
3. They contain a list of aesthetically appealing search engines
4. They are always open

Answer: Option b

Explanation: The main reason for using hamburger menus is that it consumes less space and help in easy navigation. Further, such menus only open/ expand when the visitor clicks on them.

5. Who helps in optimizing the website for SEO?

1. SEO expert
2. Client
3. Web designer
4. User

Answer: Option a

Explanation: An SEO expert is a person who knows SEO. Companies hire SEO experts for website SEO optimization.