How to improve the Web Design Process?

Making a website is not an easy task. And the design stage can often be the longest part of it. To combat this we have put together a list of factors that can help improve the website design process.

1. Plan your website

Before going into the design stage it is a good idea to have a plan for where you want to website to be in, say a year's time. What do you want people to take from it? Do you have specific articles that need prioritising? If so put together an editorial calendar and share this with those who are working on the website as well as stakeholders.

2. Make use of templates

Templates can help speed up website development time as they provide a base which can be customised depending on what content will sit within them. How many times have you seen "Our website is under construction" when perusing another website? Templates also allow you to see the site before its even done.

3. Don't use too many fonts

There are libraries of free-to-use fonts out there which you can download and use on your website that won't cost you anything (like Google Fonts). Its important to keep the fonts  on your website consistent, especially for user-friendliness.

4. Create a website which is responsive to all screen sizes

Today more people view the internet on mobile devices than on computers with desktops. This means you should create your website in a way that it can be viewed across all screens whether smartphone or tablet. There are some great tools out there which will allow you to do this such as Bootstrap, Foundation and Skeleton.

5. Use placeholder text until images are available

There are many instances where you may want an image of something but don't have one at hand at the present time (such as when writing about it). Placeholder text can help convey what the image is meant to be without providing too much information

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6. Use dummy text while figuring out the structure of the site

Once you have a website it can be a pain to go in and change the content for each page. This is where dummy text comes in. Dummy text uses words that don't make any sense but are will give you an idea of what should be where on the website.

7. Make sure the website adapts well to different screen sizes

While website design has come a long way from its inception, there is still the issue of how websites look across different screens and devices. Just because something looks great when looking at your website on a computer doesn't necessarily mean it will look good when looked at on a smartphone or tablet device . Ensure your website can be viewed successfully across all screen sizes by using frameworks such as Bootstrap, Foundation

In conclusion, a website design can be a very  time-consuming process. If website design is something you are passionate about, it can be a very gratifying process where one's artistic side can express itself freely. However, website design can also be a tedious and tiresome task when your website seems to go over budget or time constraints do not allow website design to combine both form and function into an easy-to-use website that brings results. Hopefully, some of these tips will help improve the website design process in one way or another.