Web application design is the process of creating smooth and valuable web app experiences
- It is about adding value to web apps through design
- Proper design bridges the gap between what web app users need and what the web app’s overall design delivers
- It delivers user experiences (UX) that feel intuitive and effortless
- It is about creating an interface (UI) that’s usable, easy to navigate, visually appealing,
Take the automation tool Zapier as an example. This web app has many complex functionalities. But, its design is the opposite of complex:
- Zapier’s complicated feature set is presented on a simple, uncluttered interface
- The navigation feels very intuitive
- Clear visual cues guide users through every feature and function from the homepage
- The web app’s extensive toolbox is packed with subtle micro-interactions that break down complex user journeys into simple steps
- The app never bombards users with information
- It gradually reveals more information as users progress through the app’s core functions
Steps to Design a Web Application
This is what great web app design is all about:
- Understanding the core features of the web app
- Understanding how the target audience should interact with the features to get the most value out of them
- Anticipating user’s needs while designing each path or interaction
- Revising the design based on feedback
All of this involves a lot of work. User research, prototyping, and revising – there are many steps involved in the web app design process. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll give in-depth break downs of each step:
Step 1. Briefing
- The first step for the client or product manager to define the task
- A thorough briefing should define the project’s goals, scope, and complexity
- Designers should receive all important information and documents (e.g., brand guideline book) related to the project
Step 2. Define the Product Vision
Create a vision statement that encapsulates the product’s goals and answers questions like
- What is the web app?
- Who is it for?
- What problem does it solve?
Define how the product will benefit users and offer something competitors do not:
- Create a comprehensive list of ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ features
- Identify the key design features and functionality needed to deliver value
- Create visual representations of the product vision (a vision board)
- Use the vision statement and the initial product vision as reference points throughout the design process
Step 3. Competitive Comparison
- Assess the competitive landscape to find products that match your vision
- Research competing products to identify opportunities to differentiate
- Determine how your product can provide a more compelling user experience
Step 4. Understand Your Target Users’
- Who are the web app’s target users?
- What device are they using the web app on?
- What keeps them focused or distracted from the screen?
- What are their unmet needs and goals from your app?
- How can your web app stand out from the competition to meet those needs?
Answering these types of questions early on will help the team visualize what type of user experience they want to deliver.
Step 5. User Research
- Reach out to target users both digitally and IRL
- Conduct one-on-one interviews
- Conduct surveys
- Create user segments based on demographics and market opportunities
- Create user personas to represent key user segments
Step 6. Define your Solutions
- Translate all the knowledge from the previous step into a design plan
- Clarify the core issues your web app aims to solve for different user personas
- Map out the ‘ideal’ user journeys for different user personas – from discovery to onboarding to conversion
- Create a revised list of ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ features
- Revise the vision board with new design ideas
Step 7. Evaluate Technical Feasibility
- Assess the technical complexity of implementing all proposed design features
- Identify any technical limitations that could impact the product
- Estimate the time required to design each feature
- Identify the appropriate programming languages, frameworks, and tools that will be used for the project
- Choose frameworks that best match the web app’s requirements (e.g., React for dynamic interfaces)
Step 8. Evaluate Team Skill Set
- Identify any gaps in the technical skills of the web app design team skills
- Identify the need for additional training or hiring new talent
- Ensure that the team has access to the right toolkit for the project
for unexpected challenges or delays that may arise during development
Step 9. Create a Backlog
- A ‘backlog’ is a priority-based to-do list for the web app design process
- It should detail all the work that needs to be done for the next phase
- Categorize design tasks based on priority and importance
- Tasks like the web app’s information architecture should be tagged ‘high priority’’
- Estimate the time needed for each design task
- Keep revising the backlog after each step
Step 10. Create a Storyboard
- A storyboard is the lowest-fidelity visual that kicks off every web design project
- It should visualize the web app’s layout and initial screens
- It should visualize the sequence of actions the user will have to perform to achieve the most important goals within the web app
Step 11. Choose a Web App Design Style
Define what style of design you’d like your web app to have. Some popular options include:
Flat Design
- Simple, two-dimensional elements with minimal textures
- Bold colors
- Clean typography
- Usability over visual complexity
- Example: Dropbox
Material Design
- A visual language developed by Google
- Combines traditional design principles with modern technology
- Responsive design
- Tactile surfaces
- Bold colors
- Fluid motion to add a natural feel to the user experience
- Smooth transitions between UI elements
- Example: Google Workspace
Skeuomorphic Design
- Imitates the look and feel of real-world objects for design elements
- Uses realistic textures and shadows to make design elements appear 3D
- Example: Apple’s GarageBand
Minimalist Design
- Simplicity, clarity, and functionality
- Extensive use of whitespace
- Clean typography
- Limited color palette
- Example: Notion
Many popular web apps blend various design styles to create a unique user experience. Pick the different design elements from different design styles that you’d like to see in your web app.
Step 12. Conceptualizing the User Interface
This is the initial phase of designing the web app’s UI:
Define the Main Screen Layouts
- Outline the grid system layouts for the primary screens of the web app
- Create rough sketches to visualize the placement of the UI components
- The arrangement of buttons, navigation menus, content areas, and other design elements must support user tasks
Information Architecture
- Establish a clear information architecture to guide users through the app
- Create a Content Hierarchy
- Design intuitive navigation paths for each content section in the app
Step 13. Wireframing
Once the information architecture has been mapped out, the next step is to build a visual representation of the web app’s layout and structure:
- Use wireframing tools like Balsamiq or UXPin to create highly polished wireframes of the web app
- Establish user flows that illustrate how users will screen to screen
- Define all key interactions within the app
- Send wireframes to stakeholders for feedback regarding navigation, user experience considerations, and design suggestions
Step 14. Bringing the User Interface to Life
Validate the web app’s structure, information architecture, and user flows with stakeholders. Then, create design elements that bring the app to life.
Icons
- Design icons that fit the web app’s branding
- Develop a library of reusable UI components (buttons, forms, etc.)
- Document common design patterns that will be used across the app
Select Color Theme, Typography Styles
- Choose colors that reflect the app’s identity and emotional tone
- Choose appropriate fonts that align with the app’s branding
- Create a clear visual hierarchy (font sizes, weights, styles) for all content in the web app
- Fill up the layouts of all main app screens
Step 15. Create Design Prototype
- Create a digital prototype of your design using tools like Figma
- Add all design elements (including images, graphics, etc.) to the prototype
- The final prototype’s design should be identical to your envisioned design
Step 16. Test and Iterate
- Send the prototype for usability testing to actual users t
- Evaluate the prototype against competing web apps
- Evaluate two or more versions of the prototype to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different design choices
Step 17. Final Design
- Revise the designs based on user feedback
- Send the prototypes for further testing
- After completing multiple rounds of design iterations, finalize your web app’s design
Step 18. Soft Launch
- Host a ‘soft launch’ to small user group first
- Let users identify bugs and subtle design flaws
- Make necessary design adjustments before an official release
Step 19. Launch and Post-Launch
- The launch of the web app is just the beginning
- Post-launch, designers must use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to monitor the web app
- Actively solicit feedback from users
- Implement user tracking and analytics tools like Hotjar, Google Analytics, and Mixpanel to gain insights into how users interact with the web app
Conclusion
The conclusion is that there is no conclusion! Web application designing services are cyclical. Designers must keep finding opportunities to enhance the web app’s UX. It is the only way to keep a web app’s design alive.
