Web design is in an interesting spot right now, located at the crossroads of several sciences and arts. Design, web optimization, marketing, and other professions are all trying to make websites more influential with their many methods and their applied knowledge.
One of the most overlooked aspects of good web design is the psychological aspect. How websites make users feel is extremely important. Designers are slowly warming up to the idea of using psychology to further their website's goals. Here are some ways you can apply psychology to web designs.
Understanding psychology
Understanding behavior and emotions is the first step towards creating the ideal user experience. Psychology takes a look at how people react to certain stimuli and it can be extremely beneficial to you as a web designer. You have to take into account the behavioural and emotional aspects of your website design. Ask yourself what you need to change in order to get people to feel comfortable on the website. Add an element of empathy when you're coming up with something new to add.
When it comes to good design psychology, there are a few methods that can help you figure out what to do next. You could take a look at how other websites manage their user experience and piggy-back off of that. See how those websites motivate you to act and try to emulate that with your own unique design. If push comes to shove, you can always ask users what they think. User input is an important, but often disregarded part of web design. In order to get the most out of your user experience, you want to exhaust every possible avenue.
The effect of language
One of the most important ways to communicate with your users is picking the right kind of language. Language can make or break your design. Many content strategists say that vocabulary is crucial to creating a relatable and interactive user experience. Before you design anything, you have to first understand your target audience.
How you apply language largely depends on your goal. If your intention is to create content that is relatable to the user, you will want to match the vocabulary and grammar used to your target demographic. This way, users will feel comfortable on the website and it might convince them to read on. On the other hand, highly technical websites might want to take it a step further. They might not have to apply language in a way that is exactly familiar to users, but rather they want to give off a different vibe. You want your users to trust you and your services, which is why you will stick to technical jargon, while still maintaining some communication avenues.
Don't overload users
Sometimes you have to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. As a web designer, you might want to give your all when making a website. This can mean adding a slew of elements that create a unique user experience while also showcasing your talents. Unfortunately, this is where many young Australian designers make a crucial mistake.
Users won't be as appreciative of your design work if they don't feel comfortable on the website. What is simple to the most internet savvy person might end up being too complex for the average Joe. This is especially true when it comes to navigating the internet.
Design your websites with the most common denominator in mind. After all, simplicity is the key to brilliance. The navigation has to be simple and intuitive. Too many elements and you might end up confusing your users. Finding the right balance between simplicity and sleek design isn't something you can easily do on your own, which is why a lot of new designers consult a Sydney digital marketing agency before putting the finishing touches on their website. Overdoing your design might impress contemporaries, but it will lead to a diminished user experience.
Aesthetics are key
Everyone knows that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Despite this, you're going to want your design to appeal to the largest possible number of people. Website aesthetics have always played a key part in getting conversions, but you might not know how influential they really are.
The "halo effect" is an interesting phenomenon in psychology. Individuals are perceived as being more pleasant and competent if they are considered attractive. There is a direct correlation between attractiveness and competence in your eyes.
This isn't limited to people alone. Websites have the halo effect as well. If your website has a sleek design that goes well with its theme, you will find that users are much more likely to rate it as useful. People say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but that doesn't really work in practice.
We have inherent biases that influence how we perceive things like websites. It's not entirely unreasonable, either. If a website has a unique and attractive aesthetic, you can assume that a lot of funds were allocated to make it that way. It's not wrong to assume that the same amount of effort was put into the products and services that are featured on the website.
Conclusion
Web design is a very competitive business. Your website is going up against thousands of competitors with similar intentions and you want to stay three steps ahead of them. Psychology might be that one thing you need to stay ahead of the curve. There are a lot of principles that can be applied if you know how your way around a psychology textbook. Follow some of these pointers and your website will become a magnet to your ideal clients.
Guest Author
Nick Brown is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged on projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business, and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does Audio/Video editing as a hobby.