NAME: KENYORU MOSES

COURSE: COMPUTER SCIENCE

ROLE:WEB DESIGN AND TRENDS OF WEB DESIGN

DATE:26/02/2024

Introduction

The invention of the internet has changed the way people communicate, interact, and do

business. Web designing and development have emerged as essential

components of the digital ecosystem, enabling businesses to create responsive websites to

advertise their products and services to a global audience

Web designing and web development are two different processes that are important for

building a successful website. Web designing mainly focuses on the visual

aspects of a website, including layout, color schemes, and graphics, while web development

deals with the programming and functioning of a website. This essay

explores web designing and web development and their importance in creating an effective

online presence. The essay involves a literature review of existing research on web designing

and web development, along with case studies of successful websites. .This essay aims

to provide a comprehensive review of web designing and web development, including the key

concepts, practices, and trends. The essay adopts a systematic

approach, starting with an introduction to the topic and proceeding to the methodology which

includes an analysis of current literature and case studies .

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The emergence of the internet has offered a massive opportunity for businesses to expand their

possible customers and engage the global audience. Websites are the primary platform for

-showcasing products and services . -providing information.

- interacting with customers.

However, building a successful website is not as simple as many people think . Two important

processes, web designing and web development, are required to create an effective online

presence.Web designing involves creating the visual aspects of a website, including layout,

color schemes, typography, and graphics. It aims to create an aesthetically beautiful and

user-friendly website that attracts visitors and keeps them engaged. On the other hand, web

development deals with the programming and functionality of a website. It involves writing code

to create interactive elements, such as forms, menus, and shopping carts, that allow users to

interact with the website. Web designing and development have become critical components of

the digital ecosystem ,enabling businesses to create responsive ,user-friendly, and aesthetically

appealing websites to showcase their products and services. The importance of web designing

and development cannot be overstated, as they impact the user experience, search engine

optimization (SEO), and overall brand image.Therefore, it is essential to have a solid

understanding of the key concepts, practices, and trends in web designing and development

2. Methodology:

The essay has a systematic approach to review the literature on web designing and

development. The methodology involves an analysis of current literature on the topic, including

research articles, case studies, and best practices. The analysis includes an overview of the key

concepts, such as user interface(UI), user experience (UX), front-end development, and

back-end development. The essay also examines the best practices for creating responsive

websites that are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. The methodology

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includes case studies to illustrate the application of the concepts and practices in real-world

scenarios.

3. Key Concepts In Web Designing And Web Development:

3.1 User Interface (UI)

User interface content refers to the text, images, and other visual or interactive elements that

are displayed on a website, application, or other digital platform to communicate with users and

help them navigate and use the product or service. This includes everything from instructions,

labels, and prompts to error messages, notifications, and calls to action.Good user interface

content is;

I)clear

ii)concise

iii)easy to understand.

iv) It should use plain language and avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse

users.

v) It should also be consistent throughout the interface, with similar actions and elements

using the same language and format. In addition to being informative, user interface content

should also be engaging and user-friendly. This can involve using humor, storytelling, or other

techniques to create a more enjoyable and memorable user experience.

Ultimately, the goal of good user interface content is to make the product or service more

accessible and entertaining to users, helping them achieve their goals and get the most out of

the digital platform.

3.2 User Experience (UX)

User experience (UX) content refers to any text, imagery, or other media that is designed to

enhance the overall user experience of a website, app, or other digital product. UX includes

everything from product descriptions and headlines to error messages and tooltips.The goal of

UX content is to help users achieve their goals with as little effort as possible. This means

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creating content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand, and that provides users with the

information they need at the moment they need it.

Some common examples of UX content include:

On boarding messages that welcome users and guide them through the first steps of using a

product.

Micro copy that appears next to form fields, buttons, and other interface elements to clarify their

purpose and provide helpful hints.

Error messages that explain what went wrong and suggest possible solutions.

Confirmation messages that let users know when an action has been completed successfully.

3.3 Front-End Development

Front end development involves creating the user interface and user experience of websites

and applications. Here are some key topics and skills to learn for front end development:

HTML: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the foundation of every website. It defines the

structure of a web page and is used to create the content on the page.

CSS: CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to style the HTML content. It defines how the

HTML elements should be displayed on the page, including their colors, fonts, layout, and more.

JavaScript: JavaScript is a programming language that adds interactivity to websites. It can be

used to create animations, add event listeners, manipulate the DOM (Document Object Model),

and more.

Responsive Design: With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, it's important to create

websites that are responsive to different screen sizes. Responsive design involves using CSS

(cascading style sheets)to create flexible layouts that adapt to the size of the screen.

Accessibility: Accessibility is the practice of creating websites that are usable by people with

disabilities. This includes using semantic HTML, providing alternative text for images, and

making sure that the website can be navigated using a keyboard

1.

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Back-end development refers to the server-side of web development where the logic, database,

and server-side scripting are all managed. Here are some key concepts and technologies to

learn for back-end development:

Programming languages: Back-end developers often use languages such as Java, Python,

Ruby, PHP, or Node.js.

Web frameworks: Frameworks like Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails, and Express.js are widely

used to create web applications.

Databases: Knowledge of SQL and No SQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB,

and Cassandra is important for back-end development.

API design and implementation: Understanding of restful API design and implementation is

crucial for building scalable web services.

Server management and deployment: Knowledge of server management and deployment tools

like Dockers, Kubernetes, AWS, and Heroku is important for managing server infrastructure

5. Best Practices In Web Designing And Web Development

5.1 Planning And Strategy

Planning and strategy are crucial components of achieving success in any endeavor. Here are

some key concepts and considerations to keep in mind:

1. Goal-setting: Effective planning and strategy starts with setting clear and specific goals. This

allows you to identify what you want to achieve and helps you develop a plan to get there.

2. SWOT analysis: A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats ) analysis can

help you evaluate the internal and external factors that may impact your success. By identifying

your strengths and opportunities, as well as your weaknesses and threats, you can develop

strategies to leverage your strengths and opportunities while mitigating your weaknesses and

threats.

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3. Risk management: Risk management involves identifying potential risks and developing

strategies to minimize their impact. This can include identifying potential challenges and

developing contingency plans to address them.

4. Resource allocation: Effective planning and strategy require the allocation of resources such

as time, money, and personnel. By identifying your available resources and allocating them

effectively, you can optimize your chances for success.

5.2 Content Creation

Planning and creation are essential aspects of web designing, and they involve several steps.

Below are some of the key steps involved in planning and creating a website:

1. Identify the website's purpose and goals: The first step in planning a website is to identify

its purpose and goals. This involves understanding the target audience and what they expect to

achieve from the site.

2 Conduct research and analysis: The next step is to research the industry and the

competitors to understand what they are doing and how you can differentiate yourself. You can

also analyze the target audience to determine their preferences and behavior.

3. Develop a site structure: Once you have a clear understanding of the website's purpose

and goals, you can create a site structure that outlines the various pages and how they are

linked together.

4.Create wireframes: Wireframes are low-fidelity representations of the website's layout and

content. They help to visualize the site structure and determine the placement of different

elements on the page.

6. Conclusion:

In conclusion, web designing and web development are two important processes that are

required for building an effective online presence. A balance between the two is essential for

creating a website that attracts and engages users. While web designing focuses on creating an

aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly website, web development ensures that the website's

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functionality and user experience are smooth and seamless. The impact of web designing and

web development on user experience cannot be overstated, as it directly affects the success of

a website.

TRENDS IN WEB DESIGN

1.Accessibility

us accessibility and catering to a diverse palette of users and needs has been constantly on the

rise over the past years.

Shortly put, web accessibility is about removing barriers to make the internet accessible to all,

regardless of the level of ability.

Web accessibility encompasses auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual

disabilities, but it also benefits people without disabilities, such as older people, children, people

visiting a webpage in a foreign language, people using a slow internet connection etc.

2. App-like experiences

In 2022 we saw a trend of web design moving closer to native app design, adapting many of the

same UX patterns and logic.

This is likely due to the fact that the share of mobile users keeps rising, actually surpassing

desktop users in 2022 from a European perspective. Globally mobile users surpass desktop

users already in 2017.

Check out the statistics: Global, Europe

3. Nostalgia and Y2K

The 2000’s are making a comeback! The 90’s have already given us fuzzy feelings for a while

and in 2022 and 2023, much like in the fashion industry, we are also warming up to the

aesthetics of the early 2000’s.

Think Tamagotchis, Spice Girls, MySpace, portable CD-players, The Matrix, Nokia 3310,

stickers, Backstreet Boys... As a millennial I could go on forever; nostalgia is hard to resist

4. Anti-design and neo-brutalism

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Neo-brutalism is a sort of anti-design style that is characterized by a raw, unfinished aesthetic.

It tends to be minimalistic and bold, using roughness and visual chock elements like unstyled

HTML, high contrast, conflicting colors, asymmetric layouts, seemingly unedited photos and

default computer fonts.

Special mention to visible borders that has become popular during the past years.

5. Handmade graphics

Brands and users are getting tired of seeing generic stock photos and are craving something

authentic.

This has pushed the trend of brands investing in custom illustrations and graphics that adds

personality and warmth to their websites.

6. Animations and movement

Animations and moving elements are important trends in 2023. In the future websites will

probably feel unfinished without movement. We will see animated

logos and illustrations, more videos and an uprise in scroll animations and subtle, tactile

animations providing user feedback.

Walking hand-in-hand with the trend of moving towards more app-like designs, we will adapt the

micro animations often used in apps to the design of web pages. What am I talking about? –

Think of it like substitutes for physical touches, like providing the

7. Bold typography

Big typography, custom fonts and the use of typography as decorative elements is a trend that

will follow us into 2023. What makes this trend special is that typography is not merely used as

a functional element to convey information but as an independent element that makes up the

page’s visuals.

Experimental use of typography can be combined with basically any style of design, making it a

very versatile and easy-to-adapt trend.

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Another possible benefit of using typography this way can be the ability to replace images,

which may increase page speed.

8. Gradients and glass morphism

This set of trends emerged already during 2022 as a counter-reaction to the monochromatic flat

design that has been trending for many years.

Gradients have been seen used everywhere and we will probably keep seeing them also in the

upcoming years. Can we guess that alongside the widely used bright and colorful gradients we

might be seeing more subtle and organic color schemes?

Alongside vibrant and colorful gradients we have seen the glass morphism style trending, which

uses properties

like multi-layering, transparency and blur to simulate a glass effect.

This trend was started by Microsoft and Apple using the style in their products.

REFERENCES

[1] Smith, J. (2019). The Importance of Web Design and Development in Creating an Effective

Online Presence. Journal of Digital Marketing, 5(2), 34-45.

[2] Morris, C. (2020). Web Design and Development: The Key Differences. TechCrunch.

Retrieved from

[3] Duckett, J. (2011). HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites. John Wiley & Sons.

[4] Freeman, E., & Freeman, E. (2012). Head First HTML and CSS. O'Reilly Media, Inc.

[5] Gosselin, D. (2018). Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript,

and Web Graphics. O'Reilly Media, Inc.

[6] Krug, S. (2014). Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web

Usability. New Riders.

[7] Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition.

Basic Books.

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[8] W3C. (2021). Web Design and Applications.

[9] Felke-Morris, T. (2019). Web Development and Design Foundations with HTML5. Pearson.

[10] Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition.

Basic Books

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