Great Principles of Web Designing

For many web developers, the most intimidating part Of the design process is getting started. Imagine for a moment that you’re sitting at your desk with nothing other than a Cup of coffee and the business card of a potential client who needs a basic corporate website. Usually, a business card speaks volumes about a company’s identity, and can be used as design inspiration.

The Principles of Web Design

Anyone, no matter what level of artistic talent, can come up with a design that works well and looks good—all it takes is a little experience and a working knowledge of some basic layout principles. Join Seattle web design in knowing about basics, and before long you’ll have the foundation necessary to design gallery quality websites.

The Design Process

Designing a website can be a double-edged sword. The process falls somewhere between art, science, and problem solving. Yes, Seattle web design wants to create an individual site that’s aesthetically pleasing but our highest priority should be to meet the needs of our client. These needs may be lofty and elaborate, or they might just be about making information available. If we fail to listen carefully. though, the entire project will come falling down, along with our reputation. The technical details of developing, hosting, and maintaining a website or application can be, well, technical. The process of creating a design comp, however, can be boiled down to just three key tasks: discovery, exploration, and implementation.

What’s a Comp?

The word comp is an abbreviation of the phrase “comprehensive dummy”—a term that comes from the print design world. It’s a complete simulation of a printed layout that’s created before the layout goes to press. In translating this term to web design. a comp is an image of a layout that’s created before we begin to prototype the design in HTML.

Discovery

The discovery component of the design process is about meeting the clients and learning what they do. This may feel a little counter-intuitive, but gathering information about who your clients are and how they run their business is vital in coming up with an appropriate and effective design.

Before you schedule your first meeting with a client, spend some time researching their business. If they’ve asked you to design a website, they may currently be without one, but google them anyway. If you’re unable to find any information about their business specifically, try to learn as much as you can about their industry before the first meeting. Whenever possible, the first meeting with a client should be conducted in person. Sometimes, distance will dictate that the meeting has to occur over the phone; but if the client is in town. schedule a time to meet face-to-face.

Important Advice— Seattle Web Design

Keep in mind that this meeting is less about impressing the client. selling yourself or selling a website than it is about communication and establishing just what it is the client wants. Try to listen more than you speak, and bring a pad of paper on which you can make notes. If you bring a laptop or tablet with you to talk about website examples, limit the time spent using it.

 Computers have screens, and people tend to stare at them; and so, if the client isn’t staring at the screen the whole time, you’re likely to be as you write your notes. If you must drag some technology into the meeting, use a voice recording app to record the conversation—with the client’s permission, of Layout and Composition  course. In our experience, though, a pad of paper is less threatening and far less distracting to the often not-so-tech-savvy client.

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