Web design is one of the most interesting fields these days. It involves a range of dimensions, from layout and color to typography and user experience.
While many people are familiar with the basics of web design, there are many lesser-known aspects that can greatly enhance the overall quality of a website.
Most web designers are aware that good user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design are crucial for creating a successful website. Great UI provides a visually appealing and intuitive layout that makes it easy for users to access information and complete tasks on the site.
Good UX design, on the other hand, focuses on creating a seamless and enjoyable experience for the user, taking into account factors such as ease of use, accessibility, and overall satisfaction.
In this article, we will look at some lesser-emphasized aspects and explore some of UI/UX design implications.
1. Accessibility Requirements
There are about 61 million Americans who suffer from disabilities related to physical ability, visual and auditory perception, as well as cognitive and intellectual issues. The difficulties they face in interacting with the world around them apply not just to the physical but also to the online world.
These days, there is a lot of information on web accessibility for the disabled community. When those with disabilities browse the internet, they are often unable to fully utilize the potential of certain websites that fail to provide functions that make them accessible to everyone.
Web developers and lawmakers are now attempting to address these needs and are implementing and enforcing regulations regarding the accessibility of websites to help make the internet a more inclusive space for the disabled community.
Designing websites with accessibility in mind is becoming extremely important. Just recently, a federal district court in California found the website of Domino’s, the international pizza giant, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) due to its website not being easy to access for people with disabilities.
Domino’s Pizza wasn’t the only business that faced charges for this. The year 2022 saw a whopping 3255 lawsuits against businesses with websites open to the public.
The main theme among these lawsuits is how adequate steps weren’t taken to cater to individuals with disabilities. The law applies to both online websites as well as brick and mortar stores.
A quick solution that many websites are adopting to skirt such lawsuits is “accessibility overlays.” These overlays can be added to a website without a complete overhaul which would be extremely expensive as well as disrupt vital services. Overlays have helped several businesses avoid lawsuits that would otherwise bankrupt them.
Some have raised objections about overlays, claiming that they are stop-gap solutions and are a lazy fix. This has caused a bit of a debate.
But even then, it is clear that businesses are complying with laws, and progress is indeed happening toward making the internet a more inclusive space, and overlays play a huge role in this.
2. Microinteractions
Microinteractions are small, interactive elements on a website or application that provide feedback and enhance the user experience. They are designed to make the user feel in control and provide clear, concise feedback for one’s actions. It’s really easy to take microinteractions for granted until you stumble onto a site without them.
Microinteractions are one of the best ways to retain users on a site because it makes the experience truly enjoyable. Not just serviceable but actually enjoyable.
A site with great microinteractions feels like driving a car with all the bells and whistles – blind-spot monitoring, climate control, 360-degree cameras, automated parking, you name it.
Sure, you can use a 2011 Toyota, and it will still get you from point A to B just fine. But you can’t deny that the fancier experience makes for a more enjoyable trip.
It’s the same thing with websites. You have probably noticed small features, such as:
- Load indicators that show the progress of a task, such as uploading a file or loading a page.
- Sliders that allow users to adjust a value such as brightness or volume.
- Animated buttons that provide visual feedback with a user clicks or hovers over them.
- Confirmation indicators that give you a visual cue that an action has been completed successfully, such as a checkmark mark appearing after submitting a form.
Microinteractions like these play an important role in the overall user experience by providing clear feedback and making the interface feel more responsive and engaging.
It also makes complex processes easier to understand by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps.
3. Information Architecture
Information architecture is an aspect of web design that determines how information is organized, structured, and presented on a website. Think of it as a blueprint that defines the structure, navigation, and labeling of content so that users can intuitively find and access the information they need.
A good information architecture is structured logically, easy to navigate, has clear labels, and is easily searchable. Too often, little thought is put into this, and items are added and removed on a case-to-case basis rather than following a clear pattern or structure.
The consequence is a frustrating and confusing experience for users that lowers site engagement, page views, and conversion rates.
Good web designers ensure that they work together with their clients to form a clear outline or can create a proposal for a proper architecture that can be reviewed and tested before the site goes live.
Conclusion
Web design is a field that has quite a lot of depth and psychology behind it. Those not in the field are quick to form the impression that the work is mainly technical.
On the contrary, the amount of thought and effort that goes into predicting user intentions, working with clients, and finding solutions that satisfy several aspects is immense.
