We are constantly reminded that website design is evolving quickly, and we should keep up with changes. However, some of the best practices and layout solutions are not going out of style for many years. Sticking to these design options has one significant benefit – you don’t have to worry about your website becoming irrelevant and obsolete soon. Trends come and go, but timeless design patterns are always a safe choice for any business. Let’s go through some of the most popular patterns and discuss why designers and users value them highly.
Source: from Unsplash
Importance of a Website Layout Design
Before we go into detail, let’s begin by stressing the importance of a website layout design. In other words, what’s all the fuss about? The main goals of a website layout are as follows:
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Make users comfortable
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Inspire them to open more pages and explore more content
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Induce them to come back
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Provide easy access to the main information
As you can see, a good layout is critically important, so never underestimate its potential effect on your company. Website layout can attract users, but it can also deter them from even exploring what your product or service has to offer.
A good website layout typically follows universal web design principles:
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Uses the natural scanning patterns (e.g., from top to bottom, from left to right)
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Offers clear paths for navigation
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Places the most important information at the top of the page
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Prioritizes minimalism and simplicity
The best and most popular website layout patterns strictly follow these principles, making them so long-lived in a web world that quickly changes. Want to know what design options you have? Below is the list of the top picks, many of which have been used in web projects designed by Eleken.
The Card Style
Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest are among the most well-known social media platforms using this layout. It involves arranging content in rectangular shapes that remind cards, which facilitate quick and simple navigation. The main benefit of this layout is that it allows managing a large body of visual and textual content to help users locate and consume it. People tend to enjoy this layout because it is psychologically easier for them to adjust to it, even if they are new visitors.
Split Screen
Dividing the screen into two parts is another popular website design option. The split-screen design allows presenting two equally important pieces of content on a screen in a visually appealing way. For example, the website may contain text placed on the left side of the screen and visuals located on the right. Or, a split-screen layout may help divide content into two meaningful and different parts (e.g., men’s and women’s clothing on a fashion website).
The best thing about this design is that it allows for some flexibility and creativity. For instance, you may dedicate 60% of the screen to the text and 40% to the visuals. There is no right or wrong ratio, as everything depends on your goals and imagination.
Grid Layout
Grids are small-sized boxes placed evenly in columns or lists. They have short headings with a photo or logo accompanying them. These visual additions are extremely important because they help users scan the page and find the needed information without reading the text.
Grids are popular in many areas, such as:
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E-commerce websites
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Photographers’ websites
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Design
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Education, etc.
Since most users are accustomed to this layout, it’s easier to navigate a new website using it. It means that you have a higher chance of winning people’s attention and achieving your business goals.
Similar to the split screens, grids can be modified and creatively arranged on a web page to make the website more unique. Play with size, spacing, text, and other elements, and you’ll see how different grid-based websites can be!
Source: from Unsplash
Single Column
If you are looking for perfect minimalism, a single-column layout may be your best pick. Use a single vertical column to arrange the website content. It will enable visitors to scroll down the page intuitively and eliminate the necessity of jumping from left to right.
Don’t think that single-column websites are boring or outdated! Many popular international companies such as H&M benefit from this layout. The key is to diversify how content is presented (e.g., combine banners, text, visuals, etc.). Another significant advantage of this style is that it is well-suited for mobile devices.
Emphasizing Typography
Some website layouts utilize standout typography as the core design feature. Large letters may effectively substitute visuals, sending a powerful message to customers. They also help make websites more minimalistic. This layout may appear too artless and plain, but it managed to withstand competition for years. Why? Because there are almost endless design possibilities with typefaces, sizes, colors, letter shapes, and other variables.
Source: from Pexels
How to Choose the Best Design?
All listed layouts are great, but you need to think about the content first. Before choosing the layout, think about the following:
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What do your customers expect?
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How do they use your website?
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How can you comply with the natural scanning patterns?
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What design best represents your brand?
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What design may help you achieve your goals faster?
Don’t forget that every company is different, and it’s always better to focus on your specific business goals, brand image and identity, and customers rather than copying prominent players on the market.
More importantly, you don’t have to choose one style because their simplicity allows them to be mixed creatively within one website. For example, you can use a split-screen for the main page and grids for other pages.
Summing Up
There are many timeless website layouts to choose from, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Grids, split screens, cards, columns, typography – they all look stylish and classy. To choose the optimal one, you need to focus on the needs and goals of your company. Imagine how your want it to evolve and how the website will keep up with changes. After all, you are looking for a timeless design that will withstand the competition for years.
