Website layout creates a first impression
A skilled website designer harnesses the power of a website to mirror your brand
When you arrive at a new company website, what happens in the first few milliseconds? You are likely to form an impression of the company based on the visual appearance of the website, before you read the first word.
First impressions are shaped by factors such as colour scheme, typography, images and elements, and together they create a unique feel to the website and an image of credibility. Impressions develop at lightning speed, making you either visit or turn on your heels.
How then to find the core of your company's brand and the target audience for your website? look and feel?
The websites implemented by Digiteam layout designer Pasi Virtakari will now shed light on his own working process.
Website design starts with the core essence of the business
How then to harness the look and feel of the website to reinforce the right brand image?
Skilled graphic designers can capture the client's wishes and expectations with such precision that the working process can seem almost magical. In reality, successes come from a carefully honed process.
Best design practices come from experience
Pasi Virtakari, who has designed Digiteam's clients' websites, has been involved in numerous website projects in his career, which has given him a strong sense of best design practices.
According to Virtakari, an essential starting point for visual design is to get to know the client's business, so that the details of the look can be mirrored to the company's identity and target group. Virtakari always carries out this step by interviewing the client's representative.
Customer understanding and objectives as the basis for visual design
"Right from the start, I find out the basics of the client's business - what they do as a business and what their target audience is. Once I understand enough about the client's business, I work out the key objectives of the future site. Right from the start, I also ask the client about the company's vision, mission and values, as these help to clarify where the company is now and where they want to be in the future.
I've also found in my career that the more we discuss and mumble these things at the start-up stage, the more likely it is that the first draft page will meet the client's expectations.", Virtakari says.
Brand identity drives the process - and the website redesign is also a great place for a brand facelift
The design of a website's layout is often guided by the brand image of the client company. On the other hand website redesign also provides an excellent opportunity for a subtle or more extensive rebranding, for which Virtakar has a proven approach.
"If there is a desire to tweak the brand image and look of the site, I tend to ask the client for 3-4 adjectives that describe the desired feel of the new site. The number is deliberately this small so that it sort of forces me to crystallise and prioritise the cornerstones of the desired brand image.
Once I have these adjectives from the client, I will go deeper into them with additional questions, because for example "modern" can mean very different things to different companies. And sometimes, through discussion, we may find that a particular adjective, such as "bold", is best expressed in the textual content of a website rather than in visual solutions."
The look and feel of the website also differentiates it from competitors
An essential part of the design process is also the mapping of the company's competitive landscape. The client company is asked for the names of its main competitors in the same size range and customer base, and the designer looks at their websites. This allows the company to create a distinctive and unique site within its own competitive landscape, without unintended similarities.
Building the visual identity of a website is a series of thoughtful choices
For Virtakar, the first step in a website project is often the construction of a wireframe model. At this stage, the Digiteam website team roughly outlines the structure of the future website and the elements that will be included.
The website design starts with the homepage
At the start of the visual design process, Virtakari provides the client with a first draft of the homepage, where each individual choice is carefully considered. For example, typography and its readability play a major role not only in the client's image but also in the user experience. The colour scheme chosen should reflect the company's identity and the mood they want the site to convey.
"During the design phase, I reflect all colour choices on the desired atmosphere of the company and the client's industry. Colour choices may be based to some extent on colour psychology, but it is still not a good idea to make choices in isolation from the company's industry, as in some cases too much differentiation can erode the trust the end customer feels.", Virtakari describes.
From the first drafts to the finished product
Virtakari's practice is to make a well-finished and polished model page from the first sketch, so that it is easier for the client to get the overall impression and feel. The sketch is reviewed with the client and the site team, and the designer opens up at this stage to explain the rationale behind the choices made.
The layout can then be modified based on the client's ideas and wishes, but thanks to Virtakari's good groundwork and insightful interpretations, often the first draft has already been a step in the right direction and the sub-pages have been further refined based on it.
Creativity and intuition are the "secret ingredient" of the design process
While the framework of the visual identity design process is shaped by the client's brand definitions, values and interviews, the added value that a skilled graphic designer brings to the process comes from the designer's intuition and creativity.
"Some parts of the process are difficult to describe in words. Once I have all the basic information, the design process starts in my head, and could be described as a series of different interpretations of the basic information I have gathered - while trying to read between the lines.
The starting point for a website redesign is often an outdated website that does not convey the images and messages the customer wants. What I love about my work is problem solving and clarifying things through visual and verbal communication. It's really rewarding to analyse how to get from point A to point B - and ultimately get there."
Virtakari has received high praise from Digiteam's customers for its successful outdoor installations, which have managed to highlight the unique characteristics of the company's operations.
A successful website redesign is the result of good cooperation
An important part of a graphic designer's professional skills is also related to interpersonal skills. Most clients are not often involved in website redesigns, so Virtakari guides the design process with a conversational and people-oriented approach, asking questions, listening and talking.
The customer can therefore rest easy in the face of reform. It's enough to be an expert in your business - a skilled designer will help you find the keys to a visual solution.
"My profession is surprisingly much people work. For example, a designer has to know how different people behave: what convinces them, what they like, what moves them and what makes them act.
It is also important for me to be a gentle and cooperative design partner for the client. The client always knows their business and target audience best, and I help channel this into visual solutions using my graphic skills. An optimal end result is always the result of good cooperation between the client, the graphic designer and the rest of the website team.", Pasi sums up.
Summary - how to approach a website redesign
If you are considering a website redesign in the near future, you can explore these themes, among others, to guide the design process:
- What is the aim of the website redesign? How much visual and/or verbal information does the potential customer need to support their contact or purchase decision?
- What does your company stand for now? What do you want to see your company become in the future?
- Who are your target groups? What is it about the product or service that is important to them?
- Who are your main competitors? What separates you from them?
- What kind of feeling do you want to convey to the website visitor? Choose the 3-4 most important adjectives that describe the mood.
By considering the answers to these questions, you will give your website designer a solid foundation to build on. You'll be several steps closer to a successful redesign, and your redesigned site can truly reflect the essence of your business and communicate your competitive advantages through thoughtful visual cues.
Website reform coming soon?
Here are some examples of Digiteam's website redesigns, with a visual identity that is the work of Pas.
Our references - website redesign:
PolarPro - website redesign for a company providing logistics, transport, recruitment and warehousing services.
Tradehit - a website redesign for a company providing promotional solutions, detection and technology services and store refurbishment services.
Saga Care - website redesign for a company providing personalised care, rehabilitation and well-being services for seniors.
PP car - a website redesign for a garage offering a comprehensive range of new cars, replacement cars and repair and maintenance services.
