A website’s design has a huge impact on visitors. An easy-to-use, visually pleasing site can increase customer satisfaction and encourage recurring purchases.
Shapes have powerful associations, and can be used to convey meanings in web designs. By strategically incorporating geometric shapes for balance and stability, organic shapes for naturalism and approachability, and symbolic icons for instant feedback, web designers can create designs that engage users on a deeper level. For example, when designing a website, the careful selection and placement of shapes can enhance the user experience, reinforcing the brand’s message and values.
Triangles
Geometric shapes are the building blocks of modern design, and web designers who know how to take advantage of different shape meanings have a better chance of designing fresh-looking websites that perform well. Triangles, for example, can be used to guide visitors’ attention and draw their eyes towards important elements such as call-to-action buttons.
When pointing down, triangles convey a sense of instability and conflict, while when pointing up, they communicate power and energy. When combined with contrasting colors, they can also establish visual hierarchies that help users navigate the site more easily.
A website’s overall appearance and functionality can significantly impact user satisfaction and conversion rates. A professionally designed website is more likely to entice visitors to stay longer and explore additional pages, and it can also create a strong first impression that helps increase customer loyalty and ultimately drive recurring revenue.
Nature-Inspired Shapes
The shapes that populate a website establish a clear visual hierarchy, drawing users to key components and conveying the intended message. They’re also a significant factor in shaping user experience, influencing how quickly and easily users can find the information they need.
Geometric shapes, with their crisp lines and mathematical precision, evoke stability and structure. They’re commonly used for buttons, icons, and navigation elements.
Natural shapes, on the other hand, often embody movement and evolution. The organic curves of leaves and flowers, the branching structures of trees, and the swirling pattern of ocean water are all sources of inspiration for designers.
Nature has been practicing sustainable design for millions of years, and engineers can learn a lot from her innovations. The aerodynamics of a bird’s wing, the hydrophobic properties of a cactus, and the ability of a chameleon to regulate its temperature are just a few examples. This approach to design is called biomimicry, and it can help us create products that are more efficient and eco-friendly.
Circles
Users who visit a website with a pleasant experience are likely to return. This can be achieved by a combination of factors. One of the most important is visual appeal. Web design has a direct impact on the first impression visitors have of a brand and product.
Rounded lines and angles make objects look softer, more approachable than angular shapes such as triangles or squares. This can help businesses project a sense of approachability and friendliness. Circles also represent unity, wholeness, and perfection. They can also symbolize the sun, a flower, or a person’s face. They’re often used in illustrations for their soft, recognizable form.
My Tradie Site’s (mytradiesite.com.au) web designers use shapes to establish a visual hierarchy, ensuring that the most important information is presented front and center. They also strategically utilize white space to balance design elements and enhance user experiences. With these tips, businesses can create a website that delivers on both form and function, and ultimately creates an excellent user experience. Schedule a call with Romain Berg to see how our team of web design professionals can elevate your UX and drive results.
Diagonals
Each element on a web page exerts a visual force that influences the potential movement of a viewer’s eye. Whether it’s to add weight or visual direction, these forces can help establish the overall balance and composition of a website.
Adding diagonals to your design can create movement and momentum on a page, drawing a reader’s eyes across the layout. This directional focus can highlight specific areas of a site and creates a unique style that isn’t as common in typical designs.
This unique approach can also be used for call-to-action buttons. By clearly directing users toward desired actions, websites can guide visitors through their intended path, increasing conversion rates and user satisfaction. Web designers can achieve this through strategic placement of CTA buttons on pages, prioritizing content hierarchy, and incorporating clear messaging into the layout. These tips will help businesses create websites that excel in both form and function, ensuring a satisfying end-user experience.
New Shapes and Symbols
From a psychological perspective, shapes carry unique attributes that influence users’ emotions and behaviors differently. By strategically integrating circles for harmony, squares for stability, triangles for energy, natural shapes for calmness, abstract shapes for creativity, and lines for movement into website designs, designers can craft visually engaging websites that resonate with users on a deeper level.
Icons and symbols, which are essentially simplified shapes, are also useful tools for conveying meaning through web design. For example, a checkmark conveys confirmation while an “X” indicates error. These symbols also transcend language barriers to provide instant feedback for users.
Unlike UI design, which focuses on the details of a user interface, UX design pulls back from the specifics and considers how someone will connect and engage with an entire product design. With these principles in mind, businesses can create websites that captivate users and drive results. By prioritizing content hierarchy, utilizing white space strategically, and optimizing page load speed, designers can help their clients build websites that excel in both form and function. Schedule a strategy call with Romain Berg today to learn how.
