3 Web Design Mistakes Every New Designer Makes (And How to Fix Them)
Unpopular opinion: Web design is one of the most underrated work in terms of difficulty.
Unpopular opinion: Web design is one of the most underrated work in terms of difficulty.
When I started my first web design project as a UX designer, I thought:
“How hard can it be? There are so many templates and websites out there for inspiration.” 😗
It's hard!!!
So, please avoid these three mistakes I made that almost ruined my projects:
1. Don’t jump to design too early.
I was so excited to finally start designing that I jumped right in before fully understanding what the company was trying to sell, who their target market was, and what their product was all about.
If you don’t understand the project fully, no matter how hard you try, your design will turn out vague and meaningless.
Solution: Set up a meeting with your client. Ask as many questions as possible about their product until you completely understand what they’re selling and what problem their product solves. Start designing after that.
2. Don’t use a template right away.
For my first web design project, I agreed with my client to build their website using Squarespace. So, I picked a template and tried to make it work for their needs.
It didn’t.
Most templates on website-building platforms don’t give you enough flexibility to iterate quickly in the beginning.
You might think using a template will speed up your process, but it often slows you down.
Solution: Start in Figma and create a wireframe first.
3. Don’t use lorem ipsum.
I learned to use lorem ipsum in my first UX design course, but it was one of the first habits I had to unlearn when working on real-world design projects.
Especially for web design, content is so crucial that you can’t ignore it from the start. What you write conveys what you sell, and it’s a big part of the design.
Solution: In your initial designs, even if someone else will handle the copy (let’s hope it’s not the company founder, but 80% of the time it will be), write content that’s clear and strong—no fancy words. Iterate from there.
If you’re working for a startup, don’t write like Apple or Nike. It’s different taking a company from 1M to 10M than going from 0 to 1. “Just do it” won’t take a startup anywhere in the beginning—clarity will.
Want to learn my secret web design process? Watch this!
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Aliena Cai | Teaching UX Design at Fast Track UX 🚀