Choosing the right aesthetic for your website can be tricky. Whether you’re running a business or sharing a personal project, you’re aiming to strike the right balance between visual appeal and usability that will resonate with your users. In this post, we’ll dive into the essentials of web design aesthetics in order to help you find the perfect style to match your unique goals.

Understanding web design aesthetics

The principles of web design aesthetics go beyond making your website just look attractive — you’re trying to craft a cohesive experience that reflects your audience and aligns with the goals of your website. A well-chosen aesthetic sets the tone for user experience from the moment they land on your site.

Web design aesthetics can be broken into four core components, which we’ll go over below.

Color scheme

First, the color scheme. Different colors will evoke specific emotions in your audience, so choose carefully. Bright colors like red and orange are highly visible and attention-grabbing, so streaming services like Netflix or Youtube will use them to maximize user engagement with their content. Meanwhile, more business-oriented platforms such as Slack or Linkedin tend to use cooler shades of blue and gray. These more muted tones convey trust and respectability, which create a sense of stability and seriousness, reinforcing the platform’s purpose as a space for professional networking and collaboration.

Typography

Typography — that is, the size, font, and color of your text — is also important. Websites geared toward children or families like Starfall or Toca Boca are likely to use large, legible text with a playful font, while websites aimed at nature-lovers such as Patagonia may prioritize a more rugged, straightforward font to emphasize the durability of their products. Narrowing down the typography you want to go for can be challenging, but insights from experts can help guide your choices in the right direction.

Imagery

Often, the most memorable aspect of your website will be the images and graphics you select. Choosing images is typically fairly straightforward — the National Geographic website features captivating photos of wildlife, and Rome2Rio decorates their homepage with vibrant images of beautiful and unique locations around the world. For some more budget-friendly options, you can use stock photo sites like Unspash and Pexels to spruce up your site.

In addition to photos, you can also use custom illustrations to enhance your aesthetic. Mailchimp uses fun, hand-drawn style illustrations to create a friendly, approachable feel, while IBM’s website features sleek, vector-based illustrations with clean lines to convey precision and innovation. These distinct styles help reinforce their brand’s unique identity and communicate their core values to users.

Layout

Your website’s layout is the final piece of the web design puzzle. A well-designed layout will guide users through your content in a logical and intuitive manner; it should enhance both the visual appeal and usability of your website.

For example, legacy news sites like The Guardian or The New Yorker use a traditional, editorial-style layout. Today’s headlines are presented front and center with easy-to-locate tabs for different news categories, so that users can navigate to the stories they’re most interested in and also see any major news at a glance.

By thoughtfully combining these four elements, you’ll create a web design aesthetic that looks great and effectively communicates your message and values. With that in mind, let’s go over how you can select exactly the right aesthetic for your purposes.

Choosing the right aesthetic

The goal of web design is to create an enticing environment that will encourage users to continue visiting your site, so the first thing you should consider is your target audience. Who do you want to visit your website? Whether you’re setting up a website for your business or sharing a passion project, the aesthetic you choose should reflect the content you’re presenting.

Your target audience

Think about the demographics, interests, and preferences of your audience. For instance, if your site targets young creatives, you might consider a bold and vibrant aesthetic with playful typography and exciting visuals. Alternatively, if your audience consists of bookworms, a more subdued aesthetic with warm tones, cozy imagery, and a comfortable feel may be the way to go. Tailoring your design to the specific tastes of your visitors helps create a more personalized, enjoyable user experience.

Example: tech websites and “clean” aesthetics

Consider tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, and Cisco. Most people will own one or two expensive tech products that they only replace occasionally, so when the time comes for a customer to make a purchase, tech companies want to ensure the experience feels high-end and professional.

These companies are aiming to communicate their commitment to functionality, user experience, and innovation, so their web designs are sleek, modern, and minimalist; by stripping away unnecessary elements, they place the focus on their products. They will typically use a limited color palette with neutral tones, clean typography that doesn’t distract from the content, simple graphics to minimize visual clutter, and a streamlined layout that prioritizes ease of navigation. All these elements come together to create a website that feels modern and cutting-edge — just like the technology it’s designed to showcase.

Example: media sites and “fun” aesthetics

Modern media outlets such as Buzzfeed, Upworthy, and The Dodo take a different approach. Unlike tech companies, which tend to have a smaller range of high quality products they want to spotlight, entertainment platforms aim to capture and hold visitors’ attention — their web content is the product, rather than a means to promote it.

As such, they use diverse color palettes with bright tones, fun typography, and an array of engaging graphics to create a colorful and lively aesthetic. Their layouts are dynamic, emphasizing trending topics, interactive content, and eye-catching headlines in order to create an immersive experience designed to keep up with the diverse and fast-moving interests of their audiences.

Remember, choosing the right web design aesthetic isn’t just about visual appeal; you’re aiming to create an experience that resonates with your audience. By carefully considering elements like color schemes, typography, imagery, and layout, you can design a captivating website that encourages visitors to stick around and engage with what you have to offer.

Whether you’re going for a bold, creative flair or a sleek minimalist vibe, the key is to align your aesthetic choices with the expectations and interests of your visitors — keep that in mind, and you’ll create a gorgeous website that your users won’t be able to get enough of.