6 Big mistakes that web designers should avoid

Novice web Designers and developers often develop flawed software without knowing where the real failure comes from. Although there are so many design books, even if they are read, it will not have any meaning to the final design. Creating a seamless design in the first prototype is really a challenge-in fact, just doing a single part is a pain.

Sometimes the design is so bad that it is not worth saving at all. Because there are so many problems, so small adjustment is not effective at all. So, when you really don't know what's wrong with the design, what are you going to fix?

Here are 6 pitfalls that novice designers often suffer. Learn how to avoid these errors and fix them in a timely manner.

1. Wrong color contrast

When a user visits a website, the first thing he does is scan the site to get the gist of the site and see if the site can solve his problem. If the user cannot immediately find the right button, option or other navigational form, it is very likely that he will not look again and eventually leave the page. This is usually caused by improper color contrast, which causes the user to miss the important content visually.

Color contrast is definitely an important decision to make when you try to direct a user from one page to another, or to trigger an action (call to action). Make sure that the buttons on your website, such as CTAs, can be conspicuous. Being conspicuous means that users will be able to quickly find them and increase conversion rates. As for the color design guide, you can look at this detailed work from Google. It not only helps you theoretically, but also provides tools to help you get the job done more easily.

2. Ignore icons

The user will read the text yourself, is that what you think? So why do some people use icons instead of text? Isn't it easier to just provide text? Admittedly, this may be easier, but is it attractive? Most people will answer yes, NO. The plain text interface is usually not so beautiful, but it makes the user feel bored ... This is why the icons become necessary. Not all designers understand this, so they tend to overlook the importance of charts to capture user attention.

If you write in plain text and want users to stick to and read each title, you may be disappointed. However, if you add an icon, the user can immediately know what has happened, and the page will not be plain text and make two eyes confused. So remember to add small icons next to the options in navigation and everywhere else to help users quickly identify. Do you need some examples? Awwwards has collected some awesome examples of icons.

3. Too much content

There are two main ways to explain the concept: either use a large number of words to describe the atmosphere and situation with examples and stories, or simply outline the main points in a nutshell. First-time users may not be interested in reading large amounts of content, and may want to receive information as quickly as possible. This is because, on the first visit, most of them scan first and then decide if they should go further. How can you expect them to consume a lot of content on this kind of behavior?

To do it better and more easily, the title (especially the first page) should be 3-7 words, and if it goes beyond this length, then the title is tempting to the user. If you have more to share, the explanation below the title can include one or two lines of content through the "Read more" button. However, let the user decide whether or not to read the rest of the content themselves. You can see how lumosity is perfectly integrated.

4. Do not consider consistency

Consistency is a key factor for a great website design. Many designers ignore consistency when laying out content, forgetting the importance of design consistency.

It is important to maintain a similar format for adjacent pieces of information, and consistent color/pattern/etc can help users create connections that are lost when the design is not coherent. Keeping these elements consistent is key. Whenever there are instructions, any ctas, buttons to the next page, or any other content that plays a similar role should be consistent with the entire site design, with the same fonts and the same font size, regardless of where they are located on the site.

5. No Good color balance

Color balance is another important problem that is often abandoned. Careful color management can make the website appear clear and orderly. If there are too many similar colors, the distinction becomes difficult, on the other hand, strong color conflicts will appear messy and unattractive.

To ensure better readability and overall usability, colors should not go out of bounds. There should be a color harmony between each other, so that the site will not appear abrupt and unsightly. Whether it is web design or classic art design, attention to color balance has a great impact on the overall appearance. For starters, you can try this super-fast color generator: Coolor.

6. Not aligned

If you want viewers to read most of the information on a Web page, you need to make that information look useful and digestible. Alignment plays a big role in this issue. Determine where the user's perspective should begin to be aligned to the full content. Alignment can comfort the user's eyes.

The content on the site can be either center-aligned or left-aligned. If you choose to put the content in the middle, then there will be a large number of negative space on both sides of the left, otherwise users would be difficult to digest content. In addition, visual content, if any, is irrelevant if placed in the distance of the center text. Most good websites choose to align the text to the left because it mimics how we learn to read printed text. Everything on the site needs to be aligned, and grids can help you achieve this. You can read tuts+ about aligning and meshing this article for more information.

6 Big mistakes that web designers should avoid