Web design is more than just making a website look good. It’s also about creating a user-friendly, engaging, and effective online presence for your business. Whether you are a web designer yourself or you work with one, here are seven things that your boss wants to know about web design.

1. Web design is not the same as web development.

Web design and web development are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Web design is the process of planning, creating, and arranging the visual elements of a website, such as layout, colors, fonts, images, and animations. Web development is the process of coding, programming, and testing the functionality and interactivity of a website, such as navigation, forms, databases, and security.

Web design and web development work together to create a complete website, but they require different skills and tools. Web designers typically use software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Sketch to create mockups and prototypes of the website’s appearance. Web developers typically use languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, or Python to write the code that makes the website work.

2. Web design follows some basic principles.

Web design is not just about personal preference or artistic expression. It also follows some basic principles that help to ensure a good user experience and a positive impression of your brand. Some of these principles are:

• Balance: A balanced web design uses symmetry and asymmetry to create harmony and contrast between different elements on the page.
• Alignment: An aligned web design uses grids and guides to arrange elements in a consistent and orderly way.
• Hierarchy: A hierarchical web design uses size, color, shape, and position to emphasize the most important elements and guide the user’s attention.
• Repetition: A repetitive web design uses patterns and motifs to create unity and coherence across the website.
• Contrast: A contrastive web design uses opposites and differences to create interest and variety on the page.
• Space: A spacious web design uses white space and negative space to create breathing room and clarity on the page.

3. Web design is responsive and adaptive.

Responsive and adaptive web design are two approaches that aim to make websites accessible and usable on different devices and screen sizes. Responsive web design uses flexible layouts and images that adjust automatically to fit the available space. Adaptive web design uses predefined layouts and images that switch depending on the device or screen size.

Both responsive and adaptive web design have their advantages and disadvantages. Responsive web design is more flexible and fluid, but it can also be more complex and challenging to implement. Adaptive web design is more simple and straightforward, but it can also be more rigid and limited.

The best choice depends on the goals and needs of your website. Some websites use a combination of both approaches to achieve optimal results.

4. Web design is influenced by trends.

Web design is not static or timeless. It evolves and changes over time, influenced by technological innovations, cultural shifts, and user expectations. Some of the current trends in web design are:

• Minimalism: A minimalist web design uses simple shapes, colors, fonts, and images to create a clean and elegant look.
• Dark mode: A dark mode web design uses dark backgrounds and light text to create a contrast that reduces eye strain and saves battery life.
• Animation: An animated web design uses motion effects, transitions, and interactions to create a dynamic and engaging experience.
• Illustration: An illustrative web design uses hand-drawn or vector graphics to add personality and creativity to the website.
• 3D: A 3D web design uses depth, perspective, and realism to create a immersive and interactive experience.

5. Web design is tested and optimized.

Web design is not done once the website is launched. It needs to be tested and optimized regularly to ensure that it meets the standards of quality, performance, accessibility, usability, security, SEO (search engine optimization), etc.

Web designers use various tools and methods to test and optimize their websites. Some of these are:

• Analytics: Analytics tools like Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity help to measure and analyze the traffic, behavior, conversion, retention, etc., of the website’s visitors.
• Feedback: Feedback tools like surveys or reviews help to collect and understand the opinions, preferences, suggestions, complaints etc., of the website’s users.
• A/B testing: A/B testing tools like Google Optimize or Optimizely help to compare two or more versions of a web page or element to see which one performs better.
• Speed test: Speed test tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom help to measure and improve the loading time of the website.
• Accessibility test: Accessibility test tools like WAVE or axe help to check and fix any issues that might prevent people with disabilities from accessing or using the website.
• SEO audit: SEO audit tools like Moz or SEMrush help to evaluate and optimize the website’s ranking and visibility on search engines.

6. Web design is collaborative and iterative.

Web design is not a solo or one-time project. It involves collaboration and iteration between different people and teams, such as clients, stakeholders, managers, designers, developers, testers, marketers, etc.

Web designers use various tools and platforms to facilitate collaboration and iteration. Some of these are:

• Communication: Communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams help to communicate and coordinate with other team members and clients.
• Project management: Project management tools like Trello or Asana help to organize and track the tasks, deadlines, progress, etc., of the web design project.
• Design system: Design system tools like Figma or Adobe XD help to create and maintain a consistent and coherent set of design elements, such as colors, fonts, icons, components, etc., that can be reused across the website.
• Prototyping: Prototyping tools like InVision or Balsamiq help to create and share interactive mockups and demos of the website’s appearance and functionality.
• Version control: Version control tools like GitHub or Bitbucket help to store and manage the code and files of the website, as well as track the changes and revisions made by different team members.

7. Web design is creative and fun.

Web design is not only a technical or scientific process. It is also a creative and fun process that allows web designers to express their ideas, skills, and passions. Web design is an art form that combines aesthetics, functionality, and innovation.

Web designers can find inspiration and enjoyment in web design by:

• Exploring: Exploring different websites, platforms, tools, trends, etc., that showcase the diversity and possibilities of web design.
• Learning: Learning new skills, techniques, methods, etc., that enhance and expand the knowledge and expertise of web design.
• Experimenting: Experimenting with different styles, elements, effects, etc., that challenge and improve the creativity and originality of web design.
• Sharing: Sharing their work, feedback, tips, etc., with other web designers or communities that appreciate and support web design.

Web design is a fascinating and rewarding field that can benefit your business in many ways. By knowing these seven things about web design, you can better understand and communicate with your web designer or team, as well as make informed and strategic decisions for your website.