5 Principles of UI Design Every Designer Should Know
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Are you a designer who loves to stay up-to-date with all the latest trends? As a designer, it’s essential to keep up-to-date on the latest UI design trends and principles. Why? Because good design is all about solving problems.
But even more important is understanding the basic concepts that guide all design work. Whether you’re working on a website, an app, or just a simple document, following these ten principles will help you create beautiful and user-friendly designs.
Principle 1: Keep It Simple
Australia has a rich history in design, focusing on user interface (UI) design. Australian UI designers are known for their clean and minimalist designs, prioritising simplicity and functionality over aesthetics.
The first principle for creating successful user interfaces is to keep things simple.
This means avoiding over-complication and reducing the number of steps or clicks required to complete a task. Users should understand your interface without any help, and they should be able to complete their jobs in a minimal number of steps. When designing a user interface, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this element necessary?
- Does this element add value?
- Is this element confusing or overwhelming?
- Can this element be simplified?
If the answer is no, you should remove that element from the design.
Principle 2: Use Proportions Appropriately
When designing digital interfaces, it’s essential to adhere to the principle of using proportions appropriately.
Designers use proportions to create a sense of order and balance in their work. When used correctly, ratios can help to control the viewer’s attention and create a more visually pleasing composition.
There are two main types of proportions:
- geometric
- proportional
Geometric proportions are based on mathematical ratios, while proportional relationships determine how objects look at one another.
Designers use both geometric and proportional proportions in their work but usually rely more on geometric proportions because they are easier to control.
Using appropriate proportions means that all elements on the screen must be in proper proportion. This will build a sense of balance and visual harmony.
One way to ensure that all elements are in proper proportion is by using a grid system. A grid system will help you evenly space out all of your features and keep them in check.
Principle 3: Create a Visual Hierarchy
Creating a visual hierarchy is one of the most critical user interface (UI) design principles. It’s all about organising the elements on the screen to make sense to the user.
You want to make sure that the most critical elements are easily visible and easily understood by the user. There are some different ways to design a visual hierarchy.
One way is to use different sizes, colours, and fonts to differentiate between different types of information.
Another way is to use layout and positioning to control how users scan the screen.
Principle 4: Use Contrast to Your Benefit
Contrast is a powerful tool that can create visual hierarchy, focal points, and emphasis. In general, you want to use contrast to your advantage by making the most important elements on the screen stand out.
This aids users to interact with your design and understand what they need to do. There are some following ways to do this:
The contrast in colour: Use light colours against dark colours, or vice versa. This will help make certain elements stand out.
The disparity in size: Use large fonts and images against small fonts and images. This will help draw attention to specific details.
The contrast in weight: Use bold fonts against thin fonts or vice versa. This will help draw attention to particular elements.
The difference in placement: Place a feature on top of another part to make it stand out. For example, a button on top of a paragraph of text is a standard method for the button’s drawing attention.
Principle 5: Use Consistent Navigation
The most critical UI design principle is to use consistent navigation. This means that users should understand where they are and where they can go at all times.
Consistent navigation includes using the same labels for buttons and links and keeping the location of menus and other elements static.
