This New Year, usher in New Design Elements!

The celebrations are on! The decorations are out and so have the New Year resolutions begun! I have seen many trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions all through the year. The argument often continues about this tradition considering that promises are meant to be broken!

I have always been passionate about design. And my resolution has always been to whip up something exciting and creative every year! This year, I did come up with few concepts. That is why I feel website design in 2010 should be and will be a step ahead…it will be all about keeping the user engaged on the page with website interactivity with a purpose!

Website Interactivity: 2010 trends
I have seen many websites that do use different forms of interactivity to engage users. The purpose of the interactivity is fulfilled only when it does manage to engage users on the page.

The Predictions for Website Interactivity: 2010
I do have a few ideas for website interactivity for designers who want to engage users on the site. I surely do wish to share the same thoughts and know your feedback.

Include interactions that engage users in a creative manner. For example, a product website can look more authentic if it has testimonials displayed. This is not a new concept, but here I am referring to a better and enhanced display of the same. The original method is placing the text with the quote marks on the side panels. One can display the same in an interactive way, wherein the testimonials are provided and given a personal touch, using your customer’s video or image and supported with attractive visuals. This makes a user feel like clicking to view more. A customer may also feel that he should be there in the list of the testimonials!

Present a set of the not-so-obvious elements in a different light. This means, bringing about creativity in areas least expected. For example, jog your memory and try to visualize different site maps. I am sure; this brings to mind some boring layouts and a typical display of topics of the site. It surely does nothing to induce an action or make a visitor want to explore it further. I suggest that one can present this area in a creative manner as well. Use the topic of your website to your benefit and create interactions around it. There are a few websites that employ this technique (read this post for more information); it makes a user want to explore the site as it is presented in a combination of visuals and animations. That sure brings about a unique look for websites.

The key to website interactivity for the New Year is to think Out of the Box. Keep your user in mind and design around it. It is bound to give many new approaches towards website design. I hope to see many more creative designs in the New Year, enjoy the celebrations for the New Year!

Happy New Year to all of you!

It’s time to Celebrate the Christmas Cheer!

Created with Raptivity Web Expert

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer's, used to laugh and call him names;
they never let poor Rudolph, join in any reindeer games."

I love this time of the year. Yes, Christmas is around the corner and it’s time to bring in the cheer with melodious carols and gifts for our loved ones! This is the season to spread more love all around. I love the nip in the air; it always reminds me that the beauty of Christmas season has just begun!

This is also the loveliest month of the year! When I think of Christmas, I have images of the landscape covered with a white blanket of snow. The entire countryside dons a new look. There is an element of design everywhere I go. The shop windows are decorated, the houses are colorfully done up, the local dreary café even looks better and yes! The people on the street appear so cheerful! One of the best things I love doing is bringing the Christmas Cheer online as well. Decorating and working on the design aspect of a website makes me want to celebrate Christmas all month long! The amount of creativity that flows online is amazing as well. This is the time that brings out the best in web designers.

I guess this is also the time when all such creative minds can come together to share their creative pursuits. I would surely like to view many such sites that have all the elements of the Christmas cheer. Here’s looking forward to seeing many such creatively designed websites for inspiration. (Use the Comments section to share your website URLs.) The top ones will be featured in a separate blog! Till then, have a Merry Christmas and watch this space for more!

5 Ideas to Design a Successful Website

When I talk about creativity, I feel there is no limit. Creative minds like to explore and go down the off-beaten track! The beauty of creativity is unearthing new ideas with every step. There are times however, when one needs to keep the purpose in mind whilst being creative as well!

The topic on design can be humongous to discuss and understand. The same applies to the various aspects of web design. There are various ways to design a website. I’m sure you must have said to yourself at times, “Which are the different ways to design a successful website?” To design a website requires a lot of thought in terms of creativity. We need to consider a website like a sea of opportunities that has so much to explore. We must also remember that we need to explore it wisely for our benefits! After a lot of interaction with webmasters and web designers, I decided to put across 5 ideas to design a successful website!

5 Ideas to Design a Successful Website

Explore your creative side (keep the user in mind!)

A website for many is a way to showcase their creativity to users all around the globe. However, the one thing you need to keep in mind is that it is good to be creative; however, delivering the message across effectively should be of utmost importance.

A website design should be creative and user-friendly!

Use Colors for an Impact (avoid spilling the palette!)

A color can communicate more than you can imagine! A website can look dramatically different when you play around with the color schemes. Understand that cool colors create a calm feel and warm colors add more life and spunk to the website. It is required that you understand the product/service which forms the gist of the website. A cool color like a shade of blue would suit a professional company, where as a bright shade of red can be used for a photographer’s website, where you can experiment with creativity.

The Power of Words (sans the essay format!)

If photographs can speak a thousand words, words in itself can help a user to visualize and understand things in minutes! Your headlines should be catchy and should capture the attention of the user. This is what will make them read what you have to say. Besides, you need to brief yourself with SEO tactics as Content is King!

Keep it Clutter-Free (don’t dump things on users!)

Every individual is different and their perception towards things is different as well. Use a strategy. Ensure you deliver your message effectively rather than dumping everything on one page. You can highlight one area of the website with an interesting interactivity so that the main message reaches users. In this manner, a website will communicate effectively to users.

Make it Engaging (keep them glued!)

Add elements of interest to the website. When you present information, ensure you display it in an interesting manner. Interesting elements help to capture user attention. This in turn ensures your message is conveyed effectively. For eg., presenting your offers to the user in the form of a panning card would engage users.

These ideas reflect the basic steps to be followed for web design. With the right basics, you can be sure to have a successful website that reaches a wider group of people!