With the advent of fast and fleeting technology and lifestyle, there is no chance for “long and winding roads” in communication. Everything must be said in as few words as possible and as clearly as you can. The audience easily gets distracted, and attention span seems to shorten nowadays. These are facts that you must bear in mind when making designs for your website.
In order to have a website that stands out from the rest, you must not only master the art of design but also adhere to the basic principles of effective communication such as: simplicity; objectivity; color; and tone.
Simplicity
A simple design keeps the viewer or reader to the direction or focus of your intent. The basic information should stand out, and any superfluous contents must be eradicated. A contemporary design that has been clearly orded, and divisions will be preferred over webpages with complicated designs and overflowing contents. It is important for you to let your audience have enough time and space to digest your message. In other words, be systematic; don’t choke them with details right away.
Objectivity
In addition to simplicity is objectivity or being direct to the point. Say what you want to say in the most effective way, clearly and concisely. Once you get the attention of your readers, don’t lose them by beating around the bush. Avoid unnecessary introductions and examples, these may mislead the readers and lose their interest in your product or services.
Color
Color is used to achieve objectivity in your design. Use colors that attract your audience like the basic red, yellow and blue but use these judiciously. In other words, you use color to attract and beautify your website, but you prevent these from competing with the important information you want to convey. Bright color must be used only to heighten a portion or as a separator while background colors must be subdued. Always bear in mind that although using different colors may beautify your page. They may also distract your audience.
Tone
Tone is the emotional effect or the atmosphere that your webpage sends to your reader. Color, organization of the component parts of your webpage, contents, and choice of words contribute to the overall impact of your webpage.
The feelings of anger, antagonism and sarcasm can be brought by bold and bright colors while feelings of boredom, monotony and complacency can be seen through dark and pale colors. You need to have a balance of colors and design in order to conjure a feeling of liveliness, friendliness, affirmation and activity. Furthermore, be careful with the words you use. Always show respect and courtesy to your audience, treat them as friends and respect their individuality by being gender sensitive. Remember, you need to win every viewer or reader’s confidence and trust.
