The Notion of Quality in Web Design

Lots of people tend to describe their web design services as “high-quality” ones. But what does the word “high-quality”, as defined, is the design quality or not? Well, there are several ways on how to define quality in web design.

After all, if one determines what lets him create awesome web design, he/she can use the same techniques to hone personal style.
Here are the recommendations.

1. Distance between objects on the page.

One of the main advantages of a good website is the rational use of the space between the elements of design. If you pay attention to how certain elements are aligned on the page, you can improve greatly its appearance and create the feeling of a high-quality design. The main error in the determination of the distance between content elements - pinning them to the edges of the page. No matter how stylish the objects themselves are - if they fit them too much onto the page, it will lose style and quality.

Tips on how to align elements on the page effectively:

• Use the grid with guide lines – the grid will certainly help you understand the importance of the distance between objects.
• Try again and again - through trial and error, you can determine what should be indented.
• Free space - does not mean wasted - if you have a page with an empty space, it is not necessary that it should be filled.
• Less is more - rather than trying to fit more onto the page, produce less amount of content, add some space and place only vital info.

2. Perfection to the last pixel.

When design is almost done, the end result is already seen clearly. Sometimes it all depends on the smallest details, which user may not notice at all. "Perfection to the last pixel" is the method, when attention is paid to the lines, edges and borders. You can simply insert a line, and you can add a little detail, whether subtle gradient, simple shadow, 1px wide of a highlight - and your work will really stand out.

Tips for excellence in design details:

• Lots of attention to small details - those tiny things that complement the content of the page are the key to success.
• Think like a pixel - borders, gradients, lines, shadows, etc. do not have to be huge to produce the desired effect.
• Before and after - compare the results of your work: how does the page looks before and after you’ve applied various effects. Then you can see how effective they are.

3. Thoroughly thought-out fonts.

Even though the designer will not write texts for the website, they have an important role in an overall quality of the content. The designer needs to work hard to make the text easily readable and pleasing to the eye.

A short list of requirements for typography in web design:

• Is the text readable? – Don’t be afraid to make big, bold headlines.
• Have you thought about running? - Good discharge greatly improves readability.
• Are your fonts moody? - Make sure that font complements design idea.

4. Organization of elements.

Design activity seems attractive because of its creative part. The phrase “working order” does not sound creative and fun, but if you have worked out the habit of good organization, it’s not as dull as it seems at first sight. Organization of web page elements is always different, depending on the type of site, its specifics, and importance of its content.

Despite the fact that deployment of the content varies from case to case, there are several techniques that can greatly facilitate this job. First, you must decide the purpose of this design. For example, either you create website designed to increase sales or filled with any information, subscription service, link directory, etc.

Tips for organizing your content:

• What is the purpose of the design? - As we have shown above, determine what is your design idea and goal.
• Design using the grid - it helps take the most out of the available space.
• Experience the layout - stay on-site visits, how easy it is to use the site?
• Remove unnecessary items – things of less importance need to be remove or hidden.
• Balance of attention - some things need to be prepared just to set focus to others.

5. Restraint and delicacy.

Designers always try to invent something special. But sometimes you can achieve greater impact through restraint. It often appears that there should be fewer design items. Good designers are always able to determine the line, which they shouldn't cross, and try not to overload the layout with lots of design techniques or special effects.

Tips for using sophisticated design tools:

In my opinion, fine details help make the step forward from a good design to a magnificent one. If you think you need to bring something special to your design, subtle details are your choice.

• Use multiple layers - do not limit yourself to a single pattern or texture, make a variety of parts.
• Experiment with opacity and color - sometimes even 3% opacity can act in your favor.
• Don't worry, be brave - don't be afraid that everything will be too subtle or too vague.

6. Use the whole potential of the color.

People often consider colors as they perceive them, and that is totally wrong. If you need to decide what colors will look good on a website, you should make a decision based on the brand, site's main theme and the mood that color scheme creates.

Tips on using color in design:

Color is always a good area for research and testing of different options and variations, but there are some things that are highly important to keep in mind when choosing colors and color schemes.

• Experiment – boring website should not have even more boring color scheme.
• Add variety – try to create colorful backgrounds using gradients, patterns, and brushes (background will not look simply good with just one color).
• Stick to the topic - try to make colors appropriate for products or services your website offers.

7. Do something that nobody had ever done.

Some of the best sites are unusual, strange and somewhat extravagant. But if designer is challenging standards, it usually ends up with changing the concept of what a standard is. However, to be truly original and create something that no one has ever created - it's the hardest thing to be done.

This idea can result in something wonderfully beautiful or something that does not hold the water. A very thin line lies between success and failure. Designer must have the courage to step back from what everyone considers nice and so “valuable”, and here are some examples of this:

Tips on how to get something new:

• This should be appropriate - if you're going to do something completely new and unique, first ask yourself, “Does it make sense?” and “Will it correspond the idea of a website?”. If the answer is “Yes”, then do it!
• Forget what you know! – Well not everything of course, do not forget the basic principles, though it makes no sense to look for inspiration for new ideas, maybe you just chose the wrong direction.
• Keep your brand - I think if your new idea looks and works well, it will be much easier to convince everyone that it has the right to exist.

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