Designing websites for their users
A website, regardless of the type of organization it is associated with, constitutes a fundamental element of a successful strategy, offering an excellent communication channel and significantly boosting brand credibility and recognition. Ensuring that all pages have a clear identity and consistent design elements is essential. Typography and color schemes should be carefully chosen according to various principles related to psychology concepts to create a sober and appealing image, considering the type of experience provided to the visitor.
For a website to be useful and effective, it should be easy to navigate, allowing visitors to find what they are looking for naturally, providing a pleasant and memorable experience. A compelling message should be conveyed to engage the visitor and encourage their return. The website's content, regardless of its type, should be well-organized, intuitive, reliable, and relevant, serving the needs of those seeking information. Accessibility to all, considering specific characteristics or limitations, is crucial to maintaining value.
What else contributes to a good website? While attractiveness and useful content are essential, the website needs to be found, requiring optimization for relevant searches. Loading time and adaptability to different devices are also crucial for success, ensuring correct visualization along various screen types and quick loading to prevent visitor abandonment.
For website designers, an important yet less obvious consideration is the potential misalignment between the client’s profile, who will undoubtedly visit the website and the desired target audience. Understanding the characteristics and needs of the target audience, who will be the primary users, is crucial. Additionally, a single website may have various target audiences, each with distinct goals, necessitating identification of all types.
It is vital always to remember that a website should be designed to meet the needs of its users, without neglecting the client’s needs and website objectives. Transmitting the importance of users, whose profiles may not always align with the client’s, can be challenging. Strategies such as conversations, exercises anticipating user interaction, or fictional representations of the target audience can help clients comprehend the significance of user-centered design.
Ensuring the client appreciates and develops a deeper understanding of user-centric design is crucial. This ensures prioritization of the needs and preferences of the target audience throughout the development process, resulting in a website genuinely designed for its users.
Originally published in Portuguese at https://observador.pt/opiniao/desenhando-websites-para-os-seus-utilizadores/ [“Observador”, Newspaper Publishing Lisboa, Portugal]
Also published at https://alexandramendesguerra.medium.com/designing-websites-for-their-users-0ba093578ab6 [“Medium: Read and write stories.”]
