BALANCING ACT: FORM + FUNCTION
Your website has the power to captivate, inspire trust, and turn visitors into paying customers.
But to unleash that power, your website needs to blend both form and function.
Think of it like a well-designed home. Your website needs to look good to catch people’s attention. But it’s not enough for it to just be “pretty” or “cool.” It also needs to be highly functional, with intuitive navigation and a seamless user experience.
The question is, how do you actually make that happen?
Balancing aesthetics and functionality to create the ideal user experience in website design is a complex task that depends on things like your goals, the context, and the website users themselves. We’re going to take a look at everything you need to know about managing the balance between aesthetics and functionality, and how you can strike the winning balance!
Why do aesthetics matter?
We are visual creatures. Everything from the layout and color scheme of your website to the typography, pictures, and videos you feature play a huge role in how users perceive and interact with your website.
Did you know? We process images 60,000x faster than text, and are wired to respond emotionally to what we see. Aesthetics help us understand and navigate the world around us. They help guide our eyes where they need to go and offer clues as to where to go next.
A well-designed website exudes professionalism and trustworthiness. If a website looks dated or unprofessional, users will be less likely to trust it with their personal information. Only a brave soul is going to put their credit card details into a website that looks like it’s from 1998. On the other hand, a well-designed, modern website is going to garner a lot more confidence with people.
Design with aesthetics in mind
With modern web builders, it isn’t difficult to create a website that’s “pretty.” With a few clicks of a button you can have a website that’s got beautiful color and font combinations, and that utilizes stunning stock images [sometimes even for free!]
But aesthetics are not just about making your website look good. They’re also about making it appealing for your specific target audience. If you’ve done it right, your website will reflect that you’ve spoken to your audience and designed with them in mind. This is all part of delivering a great user experience. For example, if your brand is geared towards women in their 60s, your website should reflect that. It wouldn't make sense for your website to be filled with images of young families or 20-something women, or to use overly masculine descriptive words.
Why does functionality matter?
A website that is difficult to use or navigate is going to drive potential customers away. If a website doesn’t work properly or people get lost looking through it, your leads won’t convert. Functionality is also incredibly important when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). If your website is easy to navigate and has the right content on the right pages, it is more likely to be ranked higher by search engines.
Design with functionality in mind
Be mindful when creating your site map, arranging information on each page, and setting up e-commerce pages. Don’t make people guess where things are and how to use them. Don’t make them click through too many screens before reaching their end goal. Keep your page headers clear and easy to understand. “Thoughts” may sound like a creative or edgy way to refer to your blog, but do you know what works better? Just calling it a blog.
How to achieve a balance between aesthetics and functionality
Now that you know what things to look out for in both your website aesthetics and functionality, let’s chat about how to balance the two:
Set clear goals for your website project. Goals provide direction and purpose for your website, helping you stay focused on your objectives and make informed design decisions. It also makes sure the entire team is on the same page and allows you to measure the success of your website.
Conduct thorough research and understand your target audience. You want to know their demographics [age, gender, location, interests], preferences [color schemes, imagery, layout], and behavior patterns [online behaviors, how they interact with websites in general]. Other information you want to gather is language, tone, and any specific linguistic or literary needs. With this information you can tailor your design choices and content to effectively meet their needs and expectations.
Plan and organize your website’s structure. Don’t just start putting information and pages here, there, and everywhere. By planning it out in advance, you can make sure it makes sense. Anticipate potential additions or changes, and ensure your website structure can accommodate new content easily.
Choose the right color palette and typography. In addition to choosing colors and type that is clear, easy-to-read, and attention-grabbing, take into account accessibility. Consider the contrast between different colors. Check that your fonts are easy-to-read even on smaller devices.
Optimize your use of photos and videos. Let your visuals tell the story when you can. You don’t want photos and videos to overwhelm your site, but don’t be afraid to incorporate large images and let them play a big role. Size them carefully to ensure they load correctly and quickly.
Avoid visual clutter. Keep your web pages simple and streamlined.
Check for mobile compatibility. Mobile optimization enhances user experience, improves visibility on search engines, and increases engagement and conversions. Consider the mobile touch experience by using larger tap targets and well-spaced buttons. This prevents accidental clicks and frustration for users with smaller screens or less accurate touch inputs. Simplify form fields and avoid lengthy inputs on mobile devices. Use mobile-friendly input types, such as date pickers or number fields, to enhance usability and prevent errors when filling out forms on smaller screens.
Implement effective calls-to-action and make it easy to convert. Understand the specific actions or conversions you want visitors to take on your website and then craft persuasive copy that highlights the benefits of taking the desired action, creating a sense of urgency or exclusivity to encourage immediate action. Position your calls-to-action prominently and strategically on your website and make them stand out by using contrasting colors, styles or sizes. If you include forms, make them straightforward and easy to complete with minimal required fields to avoid overwhelming visitors or form abandonment.
The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. RB Collaborative is a full-serve website design firm and can help you create a beautiful, functional website that converts! Fill out our contact form to learn more.
