To see the words psychology, web design and user experience may seem like a lot to take in at once; so let’s take it one at a time. Essentially, web design psychology refers to the ability to design a web page that resonates with a user’s feelings. On the other hand, User Experience (UX) encompasses how a user feels when interacting with your product design and in this case, a website specifically. A seamless UX would mean that the website design allows users to fulfil their intent in performing tasks fuss-free. So to understand the perception of your users better, here are 5 psychology-based design tips to improve your next UX design!

• Explore Neurodesign

That’s right! Neurodesign is a thing, I kid you not. But that doesn’t mean you have to go study the science of the brain or be a neurosurgeon to understand how the brain reacts to design. Neurodesign derives findings from psychology to understand how people react to a particular design. This includes understanding that there is a hierarchy in the way the brain perceives information. For instance, the usage of icons, logos and images on your website design is more quickly interpreted than words. With that in mind, remember to avoid too much visual stimulation as it disrupts the flow and increases the likelihood of users being distracted when on your website. This is in line with user-centered design which aids with improving the UX.

• Design for Emotions

The most direct way to get your brand’s message across is with text and typography. Beyond words, remember to factor colour palette and font choices such that when we see the website as a whole, it is greater than the sum of the individual parts. For instance, if you’re championing for conscious consumption and sustainability, a wise colour palette would consist of hues of green and khaki rather than pink or red. This includes studying colour psychology to see what kind of emotions you’d like to evoke from your consumer. Each colour is tied to a specific emotion and psychological impact. Work your website’s colours to your advantage to influence your web visitors and the choices they make on it.

Typography can be key to convey the right emotions across when used wisely. Most lifestyle brands lean toward informal-looking fonts to appear more relatable while government bodies or news platforms may take on a more professional-looking font like good ol’ classic Times New Roman. Although a game of trial and error, it’s crucial to pick a font that relays your brand message across effectively. Each font and typeface have a specific use so don’t choose one just because it’s aesthetically pleasing. Really, sis, don’t do that.

• Connect With Your Users

You know what they say — “A picture speaks a thousand words”. But if this doesn’t convince you, let’s look at our favourite social media platform, Instagram. A platform that fully banks on images (and videos) is now standing as one of the world’s most used platforms. We’re all guilty of scrolling just because we’re bored (and we do get a kick out of it), even if your feed may be full of self-indulgent individuals who post captions with zero relation to the photo but they still earn your likes anyway. If it’s a beautiful shot, does anything else really matter?

Now let’s look at the big boi Apple. Upon the launch of Airpods Pro, they released a website dedicated to show the earbuds in all its glory — solely with the use of photography. With top-notch image choices and sick programming skills, they have now convinced the world that we should all own a pair each. This is because images speak to you. Louder than words can, at times. The power of photographs should not be undermined and when used strategically, can be your tipping point to boost sales and conversions on your website. Photos also prevent visual monotony and can connect to your web visitor emotionally faster than words do. Although, do note that large image file sizes can be the bane of your website’s loading speed. So remember to improve your load time (because who likes to wait right?) by compressing large image files. You’re also in good hands when you opt for Google’s PageSpeed Insights where you can detect your page speed and improve your load time!

• Negative Space is Positive

The concept of less is more apparent than ever. Minimalism is an evergreen trend and being able to showcase that on your website design is essential as well. Avoid dumping too much content on your website and use white space to break up the flow of content. Not all white spaces are empty spaces. You want your users to feel at ease and focus on the things that you want them to. It is a battle of wit but you succeed when you convince your web visitor to convert into a consumer. Tying it back to neurodesign — the human brain doesn’t fancy clutter. Hence, providing white spaces in your web design gives users space to breathe and think. Optimise user experience in your web design with white spaces that are meaningful and not just for the fun of it.

• Use Attractive Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons

It’s always a question of what to do next when you land upon a website. Which button do you click or which subpage do you go to? Capitalise on emotions like anticipation by assuring them something great awaits and expectations by giving them exactly what they were waiting for when they punch that button. But how exactly do you make a compelling button? From colour to button placement and even micro-interactions, there is a lot to know about the psychology of a CTA button. Think of it this way — a button needs to reward. So how and what you reward your user with exactly, can lead to a higher conversion rate. There are many ways to go about making that perfect CTA button, so choose your weapons wisely.

The secret sauce to acing your UX design boils down to the steps you take when making choices for the web design. Although a client’s decision triumphs everything else, remember to put yourself in the shoes of a potential user of your website. Are you being led to the necessary information and how do you feel when interacting with the website? If you’re stuck, these basic psychology tips could bring you back on track.

If you’re looking for a web design agency that concentrates on user-centered design, you’re at the right place. Ping our brand guardians and we’ll be glad to assist you!