Website Design

Did you know that the layout and design of your website can be used to your benefit? You can change the layout of your website (and more importantly, your landing page) to make your site clearer and easier to understand for users, and also to draw their attention to specific items! There are two main formats of design, called the F and Z patterns. 

The F pattern follows the research that shows that users view a website by first reading the top of the page horizontally (reading left to right, as people tend to do in the western world). They then move down into the main content of the page, reading across again in a horizontal line, and then scan down the left side of the page. This therefore creates an F shape of focus, hence the name. As such, to take advantage of this, you should place things that you want to be noticed on a text heavy page, or you believe are important, within this pattern’s shape. 

The Z pattern, again mimics the shape of a Z. First they read from top left to right in a  horizontal line, then going back towards the left in a diagonal line. Finally, they go back from left to right. This pattern is good for less heavily packed pages and like the F design, to take advantage of this design, place important items at each of the corners of the Z.

During these processes, the user is mostly searching the page for engaging content, therefore, as suggested, placing images, or other eye-catching content in these greatly focused areas, will be beneficial to both the user and the business. However, both of these patterns are not rigid shapes and may be repeating down a page. There are many ways to work in these structures that you can change to fit with your website and your content.

Extra notice, to further emphasise the importance of certain elements, make use of the visual hierarchy. Important things that highlight elements and draw attention to them are:

• Size

• Colour 

• Contrast

• Alignment

• Proximity

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-- From Marketing to Mind --