Whether you’re designing a site to advertise yourself or using it to sell a particular product, coming up with a unique website that speaks for you can be a more daunting task than it seems when you’re first starting out. If you find yourself lacking in ideas and are looking for some things to get you motivated, consider some of these tips.
Personality and Tastes
It is always good to follow your instincts at first and revise later after your initial idea has been worked on. Deciding on a base is important and it can be one of the most difficult things to figure out initially. Check some of your favorite websites out for ideas and inspiration. Note common practices as well as repeating layout choices. There’s no need to go out of your way to be completely original. You want to make sure that your choices are functional and don’t hinder navigation. Avoid a cluttered look. If you find something that will work for your purposes, design it around those concepts. Analyze what you feel works and what doesn’t. You can draw inspiration from things other than websites as well, check magazine articles, look at photos, and consider color schemes. Go with what you personally find appealing.
Select a Theme
Decide on a topic, a color, an object, and run with it. If you like blue, take a look at varying shades, read up on color theory, and apply artistic knowledge to your choices. A personal touch can go a long way in making a unique website. There is absolutely nothing wrong in being self-indulgent. Your interests or the product you’re selling should be plastered all over your website so that anyone visiting knows immediately what your content is and what you’re trying to accomplish. Your choices can be as broad or as narrow as you want when it comes to deciding on your theme. If you like the ocean, look up photos of the ocean and make a note of the typical compositions as well as colors and composition. A website review can be helpful once you’re up and running. There are professional options that can be expensive, but don’t disregard casual critique from friends and family. Get their opinions, ask them what they like about your design and what they dislike. Post ideas on forums based around web design, and see what sort of response you get from the people there.
Simple Guidelines
There are a few things to keep in mind when designing any website. Be aware that the fancy font you like so much might not appear on another person’s computer. Do your best to keep everything legible. If you are using a template of some sort, check if it has automatic font resizing based on screen resolution. A font that looks big on your screen might be impossible for someone else to read. Avoid highly saturated colors when it comes to text, it can make paragraphs unnecessarily difficult for people to read. Flashing colors or fast-moving graphics can be troublesome to some people, so avoid them. As always, designing a website should always be a fun endeavor, not a stressful one.
