When creating a website, a fusion of skills come together to create an aesthetically pleasing interface that is functional and provides easy access to its content. Having a clear direction will give you successful results as each aspect of your design works together to achieve a common goal. This is where strategic design comes into play: you are not only designing an interface that looks nice and is usable; you are designing something to help you accomplish your organization’s objectives. During this process, you must identify the goals of your website and use them to guide your design.

Implementing Strategic Design

1. Establish Your Goals

Your initial task before beginning a Web design project is to have a clear picture in mind about your goals. Communicate about what you are trying to achieve with the new website or redesign as well as the website’s main purpose. The design should focus on the website’s function, whether it be selling products, entertaining, or providing access to a service. If you are redesigning a website, find out the reason for the redesign. Are you trying to grow your number of sign-ups or increase user participation? Being aware of these goals will help you to fulfill them in your design.

2. Identify Your Audience

Age, gender, profession, technical competency, and many other factors can influence your design. Usability should be a larger focus for older and less technically savvy audiences. Your audience influences not only the general look of the website, but also other small details such as font size.

3. Determine Your Brand Image

Rather than getting too caught up in the latest trends, think about what is right for your brand. You may love the look of glossy buttons and gradients, but these trends may not be fitting for your brand. You will need to consider the feel and emotions you wish to achieve while designing an interface that embodies the personality and character of your brand. Your website will leave an impression on your users, so make sure it’s a good one.

4. Goal-Driven Design

Once you have completed steps 1-3, it is time to make your design decisions sync with your strategy. You may have varying goals for your website, but the strategy is the same: focus all your design elements on meeting those goals. You should design an aesthetic that suits your brand and audience as well. New visitors to your website may only visit for a few seconds, so your interface should make the best use of this limited amount of time. Be concise in informing and educating them about your product or service while selling the benefits it provides.

5. Measure Results

You won’t know whether or not your website is fulfilling your goals until you test how well the design performs. Depending on your goals, check your stats and measure changes to see if your design has made a positive impact. You can always ask people for feedback, but be aware that everyone will likely have differing opinions. Look for patterns and see if there are common issues. Use the information you collect to see if your design is moving in the right direction.

Viamark Advertising

Overall, your website should fulfill a purpose through its design. Have a reason for every tactic you implement on your website; it will make the whole process become more focused and intentional. Again, don’t fall for the newest trend just because you like the way it looks. Think about your brand’s purpose and the products you are representing. Also, your published website does not have to be the final version. You can always make improvements and updates to make your website more effective. Contact Viamark Advertising today to get started!