The key note of the good design lies in the question how are the visual elements within each other situated. This is the core of the mockup design.
The design makes the product more attractive. It helps to support the balance of all pages, from block to block. Brainstorming and projecting the design of the product, it is worth considering a chain of basic requirements that can help to create the product of high quality.
Modular grids provide a balanced mockup, dividing the content into equal parts and the ability to cover several columns guarantees that the content will look interesting and dynamic. Modular grids are becoming more popular in designing and are combined with images and bright colors to create the mockup that will provide a big amount of content in a neat and clean way without taking much space.
Along with the wide spread and versatility of mobile devices, the designers have to pay attention to the different screen sizes. This is an issue that every web designer faces nowadays, as well as the application developer. From the huge corporate screen to smart watches — nowadays, there are a lot of ways for users to gain access to the information online. Adaptive sites will show the content according to the available space in browsers. If you open the adaptive site on the full screen and then change the size of the browser window, the content will move dynamically to adjust itself (so theoretically) in a way that is optimal for the browser. On mobile devices this process is automated — the site checks the availability of the free space and then displays in the perfect resolution. Adaptive design is simple. As it is moving, it means that users can get access to the online-world and enjoy it on their portable devices as well as on the big screen. In order to make it real, the adaptive design demands good concentration and deep knowledge of the needs of the end users.
Practically every site will change with time and the user feedback by being filled up with some new information. So it is important to think about the design in a way that it is design product friendly.
4. Choice of fonts
There is an unspoken rule of the usage of fonts. A product that uses no more than three different fonts looks solid and concise: basic (basic font for content), accidental (for headings) and additional (for highlighting important information, navigation blocks or small text). The overall interoperability of all elements, font sizes and indents should be planned in advance for convenience, legibility, and readability. This hierarchy should be unified and applied to all pages of the site.
Make sure that the system does inform the user about the processes. The interface must always communicate with the user when their actions are correct or incorrect. Always inform the user what is happening, whether the conditions change, whether the mistakes and exceptions take place. Visual hints and simple messages will help to show the user whether their actions led to the expected result.
Design the interface in such a way that the user can focus on the essentials. The size, colour and placement of each element must work together to create the precise way to understand the interface. The strict hierarchy will rapidly lessen the level of its complexity (even if the actions themselves are complex).
Be focused on the page mockup. Consider the spatial relationships between the elements on the page and structure the page according to importance. Careful placement of items can help draw attention to the most important pieces of information, as well as improve scanning and readability.
There is a must to use the color and texture strategically. You can hide or shadow the items by using the colour, light, contrast and texture for their own good.
Also, designing the user interface it is important to consider the communication that takes place between the human’s consciousness and the screen. The design must focus on the prediction of the tools that might be required for interaction, providing the elements that can be easily accessed, understood and used to make the actions easily done.
Starting the work on the new interface, use the following base concepts:
1. Study the potential user
First of all, you need to explore for whom the product is created and what segment it covers. Then, get to know the qualifications and experience of your users and what interfaces they are using.
2. Consistency and regularity
It is advisable to use the basic elements of the user interface so during the work the users will be able to feel more comfortable and thus finish doing tasks faster. Also, it is important to create the patterns in language, mock-ups and design of the site to raise the effectiveness. When the user understands that they can perform an action on one part of the site, they will try it on another.
3. Sequence
Users must know that in the moment of learning how to work with the site, they can do it again and it will work. Unified interface can help to understand better how everything is going to work. Sequence and unexpentance of actions help to perform the task faster and feel satisfied while using the product.
4. Right to make a mistake
No matter how clear the design is, people will make mistakes. The interface must allow such a probability and be prepared for it. Develop ways to allow users to undo and indulge with a variety of inputs (no one likes to start over because of an incorrect date format). Also, if the user is actually making a mistake, use the message as a learning situation, showing which action was wrong. Also, make sure that the user knows how to prevent the recurrence of erroneous actions.
5. Mutual understanding
All interfaces require a certain level of copywriting. Use a simpler conversational style of communication. Provide clear and concise labels for action, simplify messaging.
6. Make it simple
The best interface design is «invisible». It avoids unnecessary elements, almost invisible to the user. The interface does not contain intrusive or unnecessary details. On the contrary, the necessary elements are simple and make sense. Whenever it comes to adding a new feature or component, ask the question, «Does the user really need it?» Make the interface simple and concise.
7. Default values
After careful consideration and anticipation of the goals that users set for the site, you can create default settings that reduce the load on the user. This becomes especially important when it comes to form design, where it is possible to pre-select or fill in some fields.
In a world of more than a billion potentially accessible websites, you need to make sure that your product design is enjoyable, optimized and user-friendly. Knowledge and understanding of the rules is the right way to increase the effectiveness of the site. After all, if it is not friendly, visitors will easily choose another.
