You may have noticed that most websites today are not like websites in the old days, when there was just the Web 1.0. Nowadays, Web 2.0 websites are distinctively more creative with beautiful site designs. You may also notice that many Web 2.0 sites are often minimalist and simple, with only the “important” content displayed. And it is no wonder, because truthfully simple sites work. If you want to create a simple yet beautiful looking Web 2.0 site, here are some tips that you can follow.

When it comes to designing simplistic and minimalist site layouts (and any kind of layout in general), it is very important that you pay attention to the colors you use. Limit your color choices, as you only need few colors. Using too many colors can disrupt the balance of your site and distract attention from the important content. Once you have chosen your colors, you can use Photoshop’s Color Swatches to save the colors you want to use. To do this, bring out the Color window by selecting Window > Color from the menu. Or, if you like shortcuts, you can hit the “F6” button on your keyboard. Click on the Swatches tab. Make sure that you have your desired color as the foreground. Now, as you roll your mouse over the tiles of colors in the Swatches window, you will notice that a paint bucket icon comes out. Click on it and name your color. Do the same thing with the rest of your colors.

Another important thing to remember when it comes to simplistic and minimalist layouts is that you should always make use of white space. White space helps keep the balance of your layout and creates a clean looking design. Create a space between columns of text that is not too narrow so that they can be easily read. You will have to code this, but for the mock up, you can use Guides (View > New Guides) to place your text. In addition to space between columns of text, you should also pay attention to the distance between images and text.

And while we’re on it, remember to overuse images or text. A good idea is to use big, bold images with short text. Or, you can also use big bold text with limited imagery. Whichever you choose, remember that less is more. Make sure you do not overuse any elements of the layout or it will not look so simplistic and minimalist anymore.

* Stock photo credited to yellow-stock.

M.A.H.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!