Website design isn’t just a matter of making a website look good. Rather, it’s more about analyzing the user and identifying possible solutions that combine aesthetics, function and user experience.
The latest thinking on website design has changed since the boom of the internet. Design thinking has a few unique aspects but more or less falls along these lines.
1. Thinking About Others
At its core, design thinking involves your visitors and the problems they could encounter when visiting your site. Empathy, or the ability to put yourself in their shoes is a major factor here. It’s all about getting involved in assuming what they need, their motivation, experience and issues.
2. What’s the Problem?
Once you have enough data, you can move towards the part where you identify any potential problems. Keep in mind that this still involves the user and not the performance aspects of the website. Rather than planning how to hit the site’s goals, think about how you can fill in the user’s needs with products or services.
3. Brainstorming
After the problem is identified, it’s time to brainstorm for possible solutions. At first, you can generate ideas and put them ‘out there’. In this process, there’s no wrong answer and everyone in the team is free to speak their mind.
The more ideas generated, the higher the likelihood of addressing the problem in a satisfactory manner.
4. Design Prototypes
Take a few of the good ideas and try to build prototypes, or rough sketches on how you could implement them on your website. These prototypes are still in the experimental phase and could be rejected, re-examined or improved depending on the outcome.
The idea in prototypes is that they allow the team to see how it could interact or draw results depending on the users’ reaction to them. After a series of testing, a prototype should emerge as the clear winner.
5. Testing and Building
The prototype is implemented and undergoes testing. This is the final process in design thinking but it’s not the end-all, meaning adjustments can still be made for the better. Here, you can alter, refine or even scrap a product in favor of more beneficial ones.
The cycle starts over for every new site and project. These five processes can be applied to just about any problem you may encounter with your website.
Design Thinking Benefits
The design thinking process is very user-centric, which takes into account the visitors’ needs, emotional state and desire. Not only does this satisfy their curiosity but allows companies to connect at a deeper level.
Throughout the website strategy process you’ll gain access to a wide range of possible solutions. Risks and uncertainties are minimized as the problem is re-framed time and again. Plus, prototyping, brainstorming and testing ensures the end product will be the best version to address the user’s needs.
Businesses should adapt this kind of development on their websites. Not only will you get a stunning, creative website that attracts visitors but also provides a seamless and engaging user experience.
