Design Practices.
How to leverage design practices and tools while building websites.
Table of contents
Have you ever visited a website that made you go wow? Or one that made you go ugh? The difference between a good and a bad website is often in the design. Design is not just about making things look pretty. It’s also about making things work well and feel right. As a web developer, you need to care about design as much as you care about code. In this article, we will show you how to leverage design practices and tools while building websites. You will learn how to use design principles, design systems, design tools, and design feedback to create websites that are attractive, functional, and user-friendly. By the end of this article, you will be able to impress your employer and your users with your design skills.
Design Principles
Design principles are the basic guidelines for creating effective and aesthetically pleasing designs. They help you organize and arrange the elements on your website, such as text, images, colors, shapes, and icons. By following design principles, you can ensure that your website is clear, consistent, and coherent. Some of the common design principles are:
Contrast*: This is the difference between two or more elements that makes them stand out from each other. You can use contrast to create focal points, highlight important information, or create visual interest. For example, you can use contrast in color, size, shape, or font to make your headings or buttons more noticeable.
Alignment: This is the placement of elements along a common edge or axis. You can use alignment to create order, structure, and balance on your website. For example, you can use alignment to align your text to the left, right, and center, or justify it. You can also use alignment to align your images or icons to a grid or a baseline.
Repetition: This is the use of the same or similar elements throughout your website. You can use repetition to create consistency, unity, and harmony on your website. For example, you can use repetition in color, shape, font, or style to create a cohesive look and feel for your website.
Proximity: This is the closeness or distance between elements. You can use proximity to create relationships, groups, or categories on your website. For example, you can use proximity to group related items together or separate unrelated items apart.
Balance: This is the distribution of visual weight on your website. You can use balance to create stability, symmetry, or asymmetry on your website. For example, you can use the balance to arrange your elements evenly or unevenly on your website.
Hierarchy: This is the order of importance of elements on your website. You can use hierarchy to create emphasis, direction, or flow on your website. For example, you can use hierarchy to make your most important elements bigger, bolder, or brighter than your less important elements.
Whitespace: This is the space between or around elements on your website. You can use whitespace to create breathing room, focus, or contrast on your website. For example, you can use whitespace to avoid cluttering your website with too many elements or to make your elements stand out more.
These are some of the design principles that you can apply to your website. In the next section, we will show you how to use design systems to implement these principles more easily and efficiently.
Design Systems
Design systems are collections of reusable components, patterns, and standards that help you maintain consistency and quality across your website. They also help you save time and effort by providing you with ready-made solutions for common design problems. Some of the popular design systems are Bootstrap, Material Design, and Ant Design.
Bootstrap: This is a design system that provides you with a set of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript components that you can use to create responsive and mobile-friendly websites. Bootstrap also offers a grid system, utility classes, and a customizer that lets you customize your website according to your needs. You can learn more about Bootstrap at getbootstrap.com.
Material Design: This is a design system that provides you with a set of guidelines and principles for creating user interfaces that are inspired by the physical world and its textures. Material Design also offers a color system, a typography system, and a component library that lets you create websites that are intuitive and elegant. You can learn more about Material Design at material.io.
Ant Design: This is a design system that provides you with a set of components, icons, and animations that you can use to create websites that are modern and user-friendly. Ant Design also offers a layout system, a theme system, and a design tool that let you create websites that are adaptable and customizable. You can learn more about Ant Design at ant.design.
These are some of the design systems that you can use to implement the design principles we discussed in the previous section. In the next section, we will show you how to use design tools to create mockups and prototypes for your website.
Here are some possible pros and cons for each design system:
Bootstrap:
Pros:
It is widely used and supported by many developers and websites.
It is easy to use and integrate with other frameworks and libraries.
It is responsive and mobile-friendly by default.
Cons:
It can be too generic and boring if not customized properly.
It can be too heavy and bloated if not optimized properly.
It can have compatibility issues with some browsers or devices.
Material Design:
Pros:
It is based on solid design philosophy and principles that enhance the user experience.
It is elegant and minimalist, with a focus on clarity and simplicity.
It is adaptable and flexible, with a variety of components and styles to choose from.
Cons:
It can be too rigid and restrictive if not applied creatively.
It can be too flat and dull if not enriched with colors and animations.
It can have performance issues with some browsers or devices.
Ant Design:
Pros:
It is modern and user-friendly, with a focus on interactivity and feedback.
It is rich and dynamic, with a lot of components and icons to choose from.
It is customizable and scalable, with a powerful theme system and design tool to use.
Cons:
It can be too complex and overwhelming if not organized properly.
It can be too flashy and distracting if not balanced properly.
It can have language issues with some browsers or devices.
These are some of the pros and cons of each design system. You can use them to decide which design system suits your website best. In the next section, we will show you how to use design tools to create mockups and prototypes for your website.
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Design Tools
Design tools are software applications that help you create and edit graphics, layouts, prototypes, and animations for your website. They also help you collaborate with other designers and developers, share your work with others, and get feedback on your design. Some of the popular design tools are Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, and Photoshop.
Figma: This is a design tool that lets you create vector graphics, user interfaces, and interactive prototypes for your website. Figma also offers a cloud-based platform that lets you collaborate with others in real-time, share your work with others, and get feedback on your design. You can learn more about Figma at figma.com.
Adobe XD: This is a design tool that lets you create user interfaces, wireframes, and prototypes for your website. Adobe XD also offers a cloud-based platform that lets you collaborate with others, share your work with others, and get feedback on your design. You can learn more about Adobe XD at adobe.com/products/xd.html.
Sketch: This is a design tool that lets you create vector graphics, user interfaces, and prototypes for your website. Sketch also offers a desktop app that lets you work offline, a cloud service that lets you share your work with others, and a plugin system that lets you extend its functionality. You can learn more about Sketch at sketch.com.
Photoshop: This is a design tool that lets you create and edit raster graphics, photos, and images for your website. Photoshop also offers a desktop app that lets you work offline, a cloud service that lets you share your work with others, and a plugin system that lets you extend its functionality. You can learn more about Photoshop at adobe.com/products/photoshop.html.
These are some of the design tools that you can use to create mockups and prototypes for your website. In the next section, we will show you how to use design feedback to improve your design.
Design Feedback
Design feedback is the process of getting input and suggestions from others on how to improve your design. It can help you identify and fix any issues or errors in your design, as well as enhance its usability and appeal. Some of the benefits of design feedback are:
It can help you gain new perspectives and insights into your design.
It can help you validate your assumptions and hypotheses about your design.
It can help you improve your design skills and learn from others.
It can help you increase your confidence and satisfaction with your design. Some of the sources of design feedback are:
Users: These are the people who will use your website. You can get feedback from users by conducting user testing, surveys, interviews, or analytics. Users can provide you with valuable feedback on how your website works, feels, and meets their needs and expectations.
Peers: These are the people who work with you or have similar skills and knowledge as you. You can get feedback from peers by sharing your work with them, asking for their opinions, or joining online communities. Peers can provide you with constructive feedback on how your website looks, functions, and follows best practices.
Experts: These are the people who have more experience and expertise than you in web design or development. You can get feedback from experts by seeking their advice, hiring their services, or attending their workshops or courses. Experts can provide you with professional feedback on how your website compares to industry standards and trends.
These are some of the sources of design feedback that you can use to improve your design. In the next section, we will conclude the article and provide some key takeaways and action steps for the reader.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to leverage design practices and tools while building websites. You have learned how to use design principles, design systems, design tools, and design feedback to create websites that are attractive, functional, and user-friendly. By applying these skills and knowledge, you can impress your employer and your users with your design skills. Here are some key takeaways and action steps for you:
Design principles are the basic guidelines for creating effective and aesthetically pleasing designs. You can use them to organize and arrange the elements on your website, such as text, images, colors, shapes, and icons.
Design systems are collections of reusable components, patterns, and standards that help you maintain consistency and quality across your website. You can use them to implement the design principles more easily and efficiently.
Design tools are software applications that help you create and edit graphics, layouts, prototypes, and animations for your website. You can use them to create mockups and prototypes for your website.
Design feedback is the process of getting input and suggestions from others on how to improve your design. You can use it to identify and fix any issues or errors in your design, as well as enhance its usability and appeal.
Action steps: Choose a design system that suits your website best. Use a design tool to create a mockup or prototype for your website. Share your work with others and get feedback on your design. Iterate and improve your design based on the feedback.
We hope you have enjoyed this article and learned something new. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy designing!