Psychology and Website Design?

Yep, you betcha! Ever felt overwhelmed, underwhelmed, turned off or excited for some unexplainable reason when looking at an ad, website, or social media post? There’s a lot behind those visceral reactions, and unwinding those (often subconscious) feelings has helped researchers to understand why certain design choices work better than others. Psychology is a discipline that our website design team taps into frequently as they make key decisions and suggestions. Learn more about what informs our approach.

There’s Method In This Madness

So much can be said here–from color, to font selection and really, countless aspects of your website’s design, psychology is at play. Every factor can have a known or subconscious effect on site visitors and could sway or repel potential customers. Certain colors convey calm, serenity, or loyalty, while others create a sense of power, happiness, excitement or energy. These can vary from person to person, but there are definite trends that seem to hold true for a majority of folks. Other shades can be used to signify importance and to highlight key features or sections. We've tested this–it makes a big difference!

Font selection should also be front and center in the design process. Some fonts have long been in the meme circuit (here’s looking at you Papyrus and Comic Sans) and don’t belong on a modern, professional site. On the other hand, some typefaces are typically associated with history, trust, and authority, while still others offer a more modern look and feel. 

It’s also well known that we tend to scan content in a certain pattern. Using that knowledge and placing important information in key places on the page just makes sense. Clutter comes into play here too. Not only is a busy webpage often slower to load and react, but it can also create visual clutter that can be just as overwhelming as a messy room. Taking these subtle cues into account during the design phase is fundamental to success. 

Alt Media Studios Is Your Web Design Agency

It can be tough to stand out from the crowd online, but using design best practices that lean into established psychology can give you that added boost you’re looking for. Design choices should look effortless in the final product, while still conveying authority, instilling trust, and creating a relatable tone for your target audience. Having an expert at the ready to help you navigate what can feel like a literal sea of options helps to simplify the process and steer you in the right direction. 

Web design trends come and go, but solid design principles are forever. Get in touch with Alt Media’s diverse team of experts to learn how we can use everything at our disposal to thoughtfully and intentionally handcraft your one-of-a-kind website.