Aesthetics in Modern Web Design

Aesthetics refers to the visual appearance of the website, web application, or mobile app developed using front-end technologies. It encompasses the overall layout with different components, menus, buttons, images, icons, colors, fonts, etc. It also incorporates interactive features, such as sounds, animations, symbols, etc. Together, these features create a user-friendly appearance and leave an impact on the intended audience.

Aesthetics act as the reflection of the company, and they should be designed according to the nature and genre of the business. Many new applications utilize single-page responsive sites to display desired components on the screen for users to engage with. This method of working increases the efficiency of the site.

In this article, I’ll go over how to optimize modern design for websites.

Modern Web Design

Modern web design uses a minimalistic and responsive approach. It is developed using interactive methods that engage the user. Screens often contain a collection of images, small videos, clips, animations, and styles to make the application look alive. In other words, modern applications visually communicate with the user.

• Vibrant colors are used to show alert messages
• Typography is linked with the website’s genre
• Symbols denote the tone
• Animations such as loading bars and waiting signs show responsiveness

For example, consider the website for Carnegie Mellon University(a former Crowdbotics client). Since this website’s target audience includes students, faculty, and related staff, its colors, fonts, and images constitute a unified aesthetic that promotes school spirit.

Why Are Aesthetics Important?

Conventional web design prioritized utility over attractiveness. In these applications, most of the functions and options appeared randomly, without interacting with the user. The general user had to work harder to understand their navigation patterns due to the complex functionality of the technology’s back end. Although they performed the desired work, efficiency and effectiveness were low.

Modern web design solves all of these problems by providing new coding techniques, better tools, and the latest software development models. As the number of websites and applications increase, the competition in this market is getting tight. Web design should be clean in appearance and developed using Human-Computer Interaction Techniques to gain the audience’s attention and provide them with value.

Applications of Aesthetics

Aesthetics can be strategically utilized across a number of business departments.

Aesthetics in Marketing and Sales

Aesthetics play a critical role in online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms by focusing on the target audience. Websites with multiple components separate product categories instead of bombarding the user with different products on the screen. This results in more targeted sales. Similarly, different products on websites are marketed viaimages and short videos to increase their visual appeal.

Let’s look at the website for SR22 Insurance Savings ( another Crowdbotics client) as an example. The purpose of this website is to convey financial information to the user, so the company wants to highlight its critical business points. Thus, contrasting colors with bold fonts and clear text are used. SR22 distinguishes critical components from the background by placing upsized buttons and using component-based design.

Aesthetics help in marketing because a good design can help in branding. The image or logo of the site should be eye-catching, and its placement should be made clear.

Many companies choose to put ads on their site as an additional source of revenue. Ads should be placed at regular intervals in between content. Placing a bulk of ads at corners or in their own separate components can make the site look congested.

Aesthetics in Customer Attraction and Conversion

Most users like applications that effectively deliver them the information they’re looking for. Since websites are linked to databases and data warehouses to fetch the information, efficiency and time restrictions are extremely crucial. Keeping users on a webpage while information is being queued can be a problem.

Responsive applications have website interactions with the user to maintain this connection. Examples of such interactive activities can be loading bars with percentages or buffering signs for videos.

Here are some tips to keep your customers engaged:

• Customers always prefer websites that have a smooth flow and consistent color aesthetic.
• Sticking too many ads between different web pages and putting images or other options everywhere can be disadvantageous.
• A website with a responsive team available for customers to contact has a higher chance of increasing its audience than a dead site.
• A team using social media and other chat platforms can help maintain a connection with customers.

Current Trends in Web Design

Today, application layouts are designed to get a constant response from users. Current trends follow a clear and easy-to-use pattern. Since the general audience has nothing to do with the backend working, users only interact with the front-end. The application can still work correctly even without input from the user.

To create the best user experience and engage the user for an extensive period, interactive attributes are preferred. Thus, websites with old designs are switching to modern design using various methods.

Features of Trendy Websites

Trendy websites are easy to use. Smooth navigation throughout pages and interactive features help users achieve their objectives more efficiently. Instead of long blocks of text, quick learning techniques using icons and pictures are preferred because they are easier to understand.

Let’s take a look at the Crowdbotics-built Ongo App as an example. Since it is a lifestyle and health app, it has soothing colors with easy-to-follow options. The usability of this app is also kept simple so that a greater audience can use it.

Most popular web designs follow a straightforward visual approach rather than a clustered or complicated visual arrangement. Each screen should have an organized look to simplify the user experience.

Ongo follows component-based frontend design, in which the complete page has tons of smaller components. Each component has related information separated from other parts of the application.

Popular Framework and Libraries for Modern Web Design

The tools and technology you use for web design are the basic building blocks of any modern design.

• Modern web designs are created using the latest Integrated Developer Environments (IDEs) because they are much more advanced in user support and features.
• Modern applications are designed using scripting languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Specific frontend libraries include: React.js, Next.js, Three.js, and Angular.
• For mobile application development, React Native and Flutter are commonly used because of their cross-platform capabilities.

Crowdbotics utilizes many of these technologies and can leverage them to create appealing designs for your application.

Conclusion

It is crucial to keep up with the latest tools, techniques, and methods in aesthetic app design. This article has provided an overview of all the elements that go into designing an aesthetically pleasing website, web application, or mobile app. Aesthetics are of great importance to keep the audience engaged with your work; a website that delivers excellent results and has an aesthetically pleasing layout is advantageous for both the user and the developer.

Aesthetics bridge your product to your customer, and Crowdbotics can help you improve your design.

Do you need help perfecting your app design? Contact a Crowdbotics expert today.

Originally published on the Crowdbotics Blog July 28, 2020.