Aesthetics And Web Development

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February 15th, 2010 by Gareth

A website is useless if visitors cannot engage with it on a practical level. There are many arguments in favour of web design being based around function. However, the overall look and feel of a site have a strong effect on whether customers will return.

Aesthetics can enhance usability. A clickable button that looks like a solid object one might actually push with a finger gives visitors a big clue about how to use it, making site navigation easier. Using ticks and crosses, red for stop and green for go, are all examples of intuitive design choices where a visitor will immediately understand what is being suggested.

The appearance of a website goes further than merely promoting a brand and has an appeal of its own, provoking an emotional response in the visitor that gives the site a ‘personality’. Research shows that if users perceive a website as visually pleasing they will find it more enjoyable and easy to use. If users feel positive about the look of a site, they will have more confidence in it and see it as more trustworthy.

The irrational part of the human psyche, the place where gut feelings arise, is powerful and should not be ignored. Function and form can and should work together in a web marketing campaign because aesthetics is more than just decoration. Beauty in web design should not be disregarded, because a visitor’s emotional response to a site strongly influences their judgement. At Click Consult, our web development experts understand that both looks and functionality are important.

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