The 4 Rules of Effective User-Centered Web Design

Obviously, a website’s user needs to be completely focused on when designing a web page. Of course, there are plenty of decisions that need to be made when designing a page, but the user’s experience is the most important component to focus on.

Here are 5 rules that every web designer needs to adhere to in order to ensure the user’s experience is a positive one.

1. Understand What Your User Needs

The first thing that designers need to do is figure out who the target audience is, and what their specific needs are. By doing so, it’s possible to create a website that meets these needs in an easy and convenient way. Taking the time to conduct some research and figure out who the target audience is and what they’re looking for is the first thing that all web designers need to understand.

2. Develop a Web Design That’s Simple and Consistent

Once the target audience has been identified, the next step involves developing a website that meets the expectations of the users, and doing so consistently. Find out how users look at the site’s web pages and place these specific elements in a position where they will likely start looking.

Content needs to be concise and include information that users are looking for. All elements should be in their appropriate place. From this point, proper design can take place in which users will inevitably understand exactly how that website layout works. This will ensure a positive, seamless user experience and actually make browsing the site’s pages enjoyable.

3. Limit How Much Thinking the User Must Do

The less brain power needed to operate a website, the better. Web design should be simple enough not to have to make users jump through hoops to make something happen. The instructions should be as simple and straightforward as possible. The less users need to think, the better their overall experience will be. In this case, it’s important to consider what actions users will be doing a lot on the page, then take measures to simplify them.

4. Keep the User Part of the Testing Process

In order to make sure the website is truly centred in the user, this audience should never be taken out of the equation. Focusing on what users are doing, either by looking at how they’re using your site or through heatmaps, is important to identify what’s working and what needs to be fixed.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the user when creating a website. In order to make sure they go from finding your site to being converted into a paying customer, ensuring that the website’s design is entered on users is critical.