Essential Design Principles: What Airtight Avoids and Embraces

“Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.” 

― Charles Eames, American designer, architect, and filmmaker

Good design is like a seamless experience at your favorite store. You enter with a specific need, easily find what you’re looking for, and quickly proceed to checkout without any hassle. Websites function in a similar way (and some even are stores).

Designing a website involves various considerations. Over the years, we at Airtight have developed guidelines to ensure effective design. Here are 10 things we avoid in our design process and some techniques we use to steer clear of these pitfalls.

What We Avoid

1. Forgetting that design is problem-solving
   1. Design goes beyond aesthetics; it engages our senses and should evoke pleasure.
   2. Humanize whatever it is that you’re designing to create connection.
2. Ignoring best practices
   1. Innovate within proven methods without straying too far from the familiar.
   2. People are creatures of habit and gravitate toward familiar elements.
3. Disregarding the statement of work
   1. Follow client requirements closely, integrating all specified elements.
   2. Adhere to guidelines while being creative where acceptable.
4. Neglecting the client’s audience
   1. Styles that work for one brand may not suit another.
   2. Designs should reflect the unique voice of each brand.
   3. Remember, designers are not the end users.
5. Following trends too closely
   1. Trends can quickly become outdated.
   2. Incorporate elements you love in a unique way.
6. Applying too many colors
   1. Use brand colors to establish identity.
   2. Complement these with accent colors.
   3. Ensure color contrast for accessibility.
7. Making font mistakes
   1. Limit the number of typefaces.
   2. Prioritize readability.
   3. Pay attention to letter spacing (kerning) and line height (leading).
   4. Use font weight variations instead of multiple fonts.
8. Abandoning the grid
   1. Utilize a 12-column structure for flexibility.
   2. Align all elements within this grid.
9. Overlooking design responsiveness
   1. Designs must scale across different mediums, from billboards to watch faces.
   2. Ideas should translate seamlessly across platforms.
10. Overdoing it
    1. Effective design communicates clearly without gimmicks.
    2. Maintain focus without unnecessary decoration.
    3. Always aim to reduce user tension.

By adhering to these essential web design principles, Airtight ensures that our designs are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and user-centric. We strive to create websites that provide a seamless experience, meet client requirements, and stand the test of time.

If you’re looking to elevate your web presence with a design that truly connects with your audience, we invite you to reach out to Airtight. Let’s work together to create a digital experience that stands out and achieves your business goals. Contact us today to get started on your next web design project!