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Web design is always changing. It has evolved significantly as social media rose over the years. Social media has become such an addicting way to interact with one another and has totally changed the way UX designers approach design projects. Here are some of social media's influence on design:
Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter has laid the groundwork for how web design should be done. At the end of the day, social media has changed the way people browse the internet, and has also changed the design for many sites on it.
Websites have become more visual based than ever before. The typical user frequents social media, so they are used to being exposed more to images as opposed to text. Images are proven to be more effective than display text. It is very easy to upload images to the web nowadays, and people can interact with messages in less than a second. Images are also an excellent way to supplement user navigation on a website.
If you look at a normal social post, the image will greatly sum up the purpose, while captions remain only a supplement for it.
Much like images, people are more inclined to interact with a story. Social media has done a great job in providing users with a platform for storytelling. Businesses often use these platforms to creatively promote their brands by showcasing their campaigns on social media through stories. This helps users to better relate with businesses and other users.
People tend to remember stories over simple messages. Stories can include lots of context and can allow users to understand the reasoning behind a business decision. Also, stories provide a great opportunity to evoke emotion from users. Emotion is a powerful tool when it comes to branding and marketing.
After seeing such thing grow in social media, successful websites began adopting some storytelling components. In order to effectively capture a great first impression when visiting a site, creating a layout or an experience that unfolds as the user navigates is very handy.
The use of social media accelerated once mobile devices became commonplace. Social media interfaces over time have grown to become much more simple as more users began using them. The need for websites to be responsive has grown more than ever as people began to leave their desktop computers.
Entering a mobile-first world, it is very important to build a website with people who use social media in mind. The transition between social media and a website should be free from friction. It should also be very easy for a user to navigate.
Websites have not only added the ability to have their content sharable across social media, but they have also optimized their content to be digestible by social media. Sites are now designed to be more simplified now that lots of traffic are coming in from social media. It would feel rather disruptive if your were to visit a site from clicking on a simple image, only to land on a site that is hard to navigate.
Giving a user a profile that they can customize to their very own is a great way to maintain user retention. Users love to be able to use a website that is designed for them. Seeing the success of user retention in social media, websites have began allowing users to customize the way they use it. For example, when shopping for your pet dog, you may enter your pet's information so that you can only browse products that are catered for your pet. Websites have also allowed users to create an account where they can see past orders and recommended products.
People love interacting with a website that is highly engaging. Part of what makes social media addicting is the endless ways to interact. User interactivity is an excellent way to keep users on your site. It helps with keeping them there, and making sure they have a reason to come back. Examples of increased interactivity on a web site are being able to customize an outfit before you purchase, or having the ability to track your pizza delivery. When users find value in whatever it is that they are interacting with, it can be hard for them to turn away from the site.
As people began to connect with family and friends through social media on mobile devices, the need to optimize websites has grown. The success of social media has caused many web designers to review the way users interact with websites across the web. Because of social media's influence on design, websites have many features that can get people hooked, and ensure that they keep coming back.