Being a web developer entails thinking about the technical aspects of a website or web application. We tend to set aside the aesthetics of our projects. For us to be able to produce high-quality websites that people will love to visit, we, as developers, must also think about these visual aspects of our work. Why so? We offer a few points:

Web Design makes your website memorable.

When people talk about web design, they would usually think of a site having lots of vibrant images and illustrations. Though these things may contribute to a well-designed website, they are not everything. Having good web design means that people notice the things that they need to see. By creating a good experience for the visitor, they are able to associate positive emotions to your site; this will encourage them to come back to your site.

Furthermore, good web design is being able to visually communicate your message through the digital platform that is the Internet. Without properly placing content on your website, everything would just look cluttered, which leads to your visitors’ confusion. This leads me to my second point.

People do not visit websites they do not understand.

Like every other puzzling subject matter, having a confusing website would make people leave. When this scenario plays out, you would not be able to get your message across. To avoid this scenario, you must make good plans.

When you start building a website, it is best to think of the audience. Make sure that you understand who you want to reach—your target market. Don’t go overboard and say “I want to target everybody,” because having such a broad market would limit what your website can do. By targeting the proper audiences, you can restructure your design and content to properly cater to the needs and reading habits of your visitors.

You might be thinking: “But I am a web developer. Why should I even bother thinking if my website looks good? My website should be fine as all the features are properly implemented, right?”

Wrong.

Design is everyone’s responsibility.

Remember that creating a website is almost always a team-based endeavor. People have different skill sets. This is why people might associate themselves with being developers more than being a designer or vice versa. Creating this clear-cut separation between roles might sound good, but it would put unnecessary burden on the developer and the designer. In the case where the designer is thinking about creating very complex designs, the developer who was not thinking about the design could be caught off-guard regarding the design he has to implement in code. Meanwhile, having a developer who ignores design will make the designer’s job a lot harder since designers will be trying to figure out how to correctly style the mark-up given by the developer.

By having everyone on the same page, in terms of design, the developer’s job and the designer’s job become easier. Changes to the website would be implemented more quickly. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Building websites is a complex task. It is more than just knowing the mark-up and the keywords for styling your mark-up. It also entails knowledge about the visual composition of the site. By not knowing about design, you set up your website to fail. Badly designed websites create confusion and they fail to deliver their messages. As developers, forgetting to have design in mind burdens yourself and the team creating the website. Remember: Design is everyone’s responsibility.

To learn more about the design aspect of building your website, here is a compilation of articles on certain aspects of web design:

1. Color Theory Tips for Web Design
2. 9 Basic Principles of Responsive Web Design
3. 10 Design Concepts
4. Responsive Web Design Tips and Notes