Web Design Tips and Guidelines

Designing a website that is both visually appealing and user-friendly is no small feat. Here's a summary of the key guidelines and best practices:

1. Simplicity: Keep the design clean and focused on functionality. Avoid unnecessary elements that don't serve a purpose.
2. Visual Hierarchy: Organise elements in a way that guides the visitor's eye to the most important parts of the page.
3. Navigability: Make navigation intuitive and simple. Include search bars, breadcrumbs, and consistent navigation structures.
4. Consistency: Maintain a uniform look and feel across all pages, including backgrounds, colour schemes, and typefaces.
5. Responsivity: Ensure that the site is compatible with various devices through responsive design.
6. Accessibility: Design the site to be usable by everyone, including those with disabilities, following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
7. Conventionality: Stick to established web conventions, such as placing the main navigation at the top of the page and making the logo clickable.
8. Credibility: Build trust by being clear and honest about your products or services, and include a transparent pricing page.
9. User-Centricity: Focus on the preferences of the end-users. Conduct user testing and gather feedback to make necessary improvements.

You should also consider other best practices, such as selecting easy-to-read typography, choosing a brand-appropriate colour scheme, using white space effectively, adding engaging images, simplifying navigation, making CTAs stand out, optimising for mobile, and limiting options to avoid overwhelming users.

By adhering to these principles and practices, designers can create websites that not only look good but also provide an enjoyable and efficient user experience.