Website Design – Audience
A good and successful website will have a carefully thought out and planned design that will take into account many different aspects. A key aspect of any Website Design is the target audience. The people who will be using the website must be at the forefront of influencing factors when planning and constructing any Web Design.
The age of the audience is one important factor when considering the Web Design. This will have important implications for not only the aesthetics of the website but also the functional layout. Websites aimed at young children will generally be more colourful, often with a cartoon type style that is also quite simple and easy to use with bolder type faces and shorter sections of text. Designs aimed at predominantly the older user may also wish to have a simpler layout and easy to use functions, although the graphical imaging will likely be plainer or a more professional look than that aimed at children. Audiences that fall in between these two age range will often be more proficient with using the Web and other factors may be more important in terms of the Web Design.
The proficiency of the user to in using websites and the internet will also be a factor. A website that has an audience which is not that proficient in using the internet will need a more simple structure, function and therefore Web Design. If the website requires this audience to use more advanced facilities then a progression will need to be planned out to help their audience develop the skills needed to use the site. An audience with more extensive knowledge of the internet and in using websites will not only be able to use greater functionality, but may also expect and demand it. The Design must therefore take this into account, while a website that caters for both proficient and non-proficient users will have to balance carefully the technical features of the for both audiences.
Familiarity of the audience with the subject matter of the site will not only have an effect on the content but also of the Web Design of the site. More familiar users will often be looking for different information and features than those who are not familiar with the subject matter, and the layout and design structure will need to be different for the two different types of audience. For sites who will have both ‘beginner and ‘advanced’ users will need to have a Design that is clear and simple to understand for beginner users but also has more advanced material that is easily accessible for advanced users.
Rage of audience will also be an important factor in a Website Design. Though many websites will have quite a narrow target audience, many will have multiple audiences that will use the site. The number of different audiences often depends on the purpose of the site and the range of information and services it has to offer. Websites with a narrow audience will usually only require a single Web Design, however larger, more diverse or larger sites with multi-functions and a large range of information may require different Designs for different sections that are specifically adapted to the target audience for that section but maintaining the identity of the website and company.
Website Design – 2011 Website Design Trends
The fast technological and technical advancement produces fast changing trends in website design. 2011 is going to be nothing like 2010 and the past decade in general, according to experts. In the new year, functionality is going to take over looks and the design work is going to merge more effectively with development work. This is the main 2011 website design trend that determines all the rest.
What do you have to do the make a functional web site this year? As a start, you should make your pages compatible with portable multimedia devices with browsing capabilities. You should enable visitors to access your site through their mobile phones, portable media players and tablets.
You should reduce the amount of clicking visitors have to do. Similarly, you have to allow them to scan though your pages rather than to spend time trying to look for something that is not there. According to gurus, one of the trendiest ways to achieve all this is to make your web pages compatible with thumbnail browsing.
If you want to keep up with the 2011 website design trends, you should look for functionality in communication as well. It is a must for a functional web site to have a blog. However, just a couple of pages with articles are no longer sufficient. Linking to the social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter is a must. You should definitely use innovative features such as Twitter live feeds on your site as well.
The 2011 website design trends require you to have a deeper design with a number of layers creating a 3D view. Depth is easily accomplished by making some elements larger than others and by placing pictures and background with 3d images.
If you think 3D images may make your pages a bit too crowded, you may want to rely on another hot trend – using photos as background. The so called photographic backgrounds are stylish, elegant and attractive. They can send a powerful message, no matter whether they are used for personal, fashion or cooking sites.
The trendiest website colors in 2011 are the natural ones. Yellow, green and blue are by far the most popular. The idea is to use a combination of two or three colors with different undertones to create a harmonious and relaxing backdrop. Basically, you need to make the visitor feel at home.
Follow the 2011 website design trends to make your web site more functional and attractive in the new decade.