The creation of a website is on the agenda. Time for the designer to let off steam, to incorporate innovative graphic ideas and fancy animations, right?
With all the impressive visual effects and complex designs, it’s easy to forget the basic rule:your website must be usable for your user..
After all, a visually appealing page is of little use if your user gets lost in it or the navigation is not intuitive. In this article, we take a look at the importance of making a website simple and user-friendly rather than relying on pure creativity.
Visually: Wow. Usage: Meh.
First impressions count, but a beautiful website alone is not enough to satisfy the user. The user experience takes centre stage. Even the most creative visual effects become irrelevant if they detract from the user experience or make it confusing.
Let’s Try Something Else…
Vicio received the “Site of the Day” award from awwwards because the site is visually very strong and innovative. In reality, however, the site is not the most user-friendly: a confusing navigation at the bottom and the constant moving of elements can overwhelm the user.
Horizontal scrolling can also be problematic. Vertical scrolling is more natural and intuitive for most users. The unfamiliar horizontal scrolling can lead to users overlooking important information or not fully grasping the page content.
Don’t Make Me Think!
As Steve Krug already describes very well in his book: The golden rule in website design is reduction to the essentials. Every piece of information and every element on the website should have a clear purpose and offer the user a meaningful added value. Unnecessary or superfluous elements can distract the user and, in the worst case, make him look for the little X at the top right of the tab in search of help to leave the page as quickly as possible. The website should be designed in such a way that the user can navigate intuitively without being overwhelmed by excessive visual stimuli.
Conclusion: Form Follows Function
Ultimately, a website is only successful if it offers the user added value and meets their needs. The design of your website requires a balance between aesthetics and usability. A user-centred approach ensures that the website not only looks good, but also provides a positive experience for the visitor. In a world full of visual stimuli, designers should always remember thatless is often more , when it comes to designing an effective and user-friendly website.
No matter how beautiful your website is, if the user can’t find his way around, he will close your website and continue scrolling through TikTok.
