Those days of Geocities sites with tough and never-changing HTML coding are gone. Nowadays websites and applications are dynamic and more interactive. It is the responsibility of every designer to design it that way so that the interface through which our users are interacting with our web UI design is close to ideal.
The user interface is very important for supporting the functionality of a website and meeting user expectations. A good user interface facilitates a smooth interaction between a user and a website or application, so it is important to create it properly. For successfully creating user interfaces, one should follow interface design principles.
Here we have discussed a few best UI design principles that one can use for future web design projects.
1) Essential features must be easily accessible
It is important to make things accessible which the user usually looks for. Whether it is the inventory for a character in a video game or spreadsheet, make things accessible for the user. They will simply abandon your site if they don’t find things that they are looking for. Make the toolbars accessible and properly arrange the features categorically. Another important option that should be accessible to the user is the help or contact option.
So when you design a UI, whether for web applications or mobile applications, or websites, keep in mind that the users will definitely look for the help button or support button. They will definitely need to contact you at some point. Always create the support button at a position that can easily grab the attention of the site visitors.
2) It is good to design for density, avoiding pixels
Density is basically the number of pixels per one inch of a screen. For designing an interface, it is best to design for the pixel density of a device rather than pixels. This will help the elements to fit properly according to the screen size of the device users are using.
For example, suppose we design a button at 200×50 dp, then it will be displayed at 200×50 px on a 160 PPI screen while 400×100 px on a 320 PPI screen, almost double the size of the actual asset. Some screens have more pixels per inch in comparison to others, but if you design the interface for the pixel density of the device then buttons will not be displayed smaller in size on screens with a high pixel density. They will be displayed at 2x, 3x, and 4x of their original size. This will ensure that all the assets will maintain their size through different devices having different densities.
3) Consistency is the key
Another important thing to keep in mind for designing your user interface is maintaining consistency in feature placement. Always make sure that the menu items are not shuffling every time the website is loading, and users can easily find the necessary information. Consistency must also be maintained in the case of fonts and designs too. The body fonts and headers must not be changing from page to page.
4) Remove all boxes and lines
When designing your user interface, check whether having boxes are making the UI congested or not. For making the user interface of your website smooth you can easily replace boxes and lines dividing contents with margins. Removing the boxes or containers not only makes the page seem less dense and less congested but also gives more space to the elements to breathe.
5) Attention to contrast is vital
Using contrast while designing not only grabs the user’s attention but also attracts them to the specific elements. It helps the users to differentiate the items. Designing the user interface of a website is similar to building a school, it is required to be inclusive for all. Always make sure that your design is accessible and are helping users to find what they are looking for.
6) Giving feedback is essential
Whenever a user is performing any action within your interface, always make sure to provide them with a small acknowledgment. Providing these small acknowledgments can really make the difference.
For example, when a user will press a button, make sure to send them an indication within a few seconds that the button was pressed. You can animate the button and make it appear as if it is sinking into the page. When icons are loading, you can easily share feedback like “we are working on your request”. When users upload certain files, provide them an indication about the time remaining. Such information is always successful in creating a smooth and engaging user interface.
7) Using color weight for establishing the hierarchy
Every color has a visual weight and we can easily use this quality for developing hierarchy in the contents of your website. While designing the user interface for your website, always make sure that the more important elements should be of higher visual weight than the less important ones.
This will mainly help the users to turn over the page and differentiate between important and less important information. It is a common thing that the bolder information will grab the attention of the users first and then they will notice the supporting information. So make sure to use color properly for establishing hierarchy.
Conclusion,
To produce user-friendly interfaces is the goal for UI designers these days. The principles of UI design that we have mentioned in this blog will be really helpful for you.You can also reach out to a reputed website design company providing top-quality UI design services in India for assistance.
