Well, there are several types of web design. And if you are willing to develop a site, then it’s important to have some knowledge about them. Whenever you open a website, what comes to your attention first? For most people, it is the design of the website. As it should be. These types of web design are always changing depending on the technology and trends. A broken, slow, and outdated website can affect your purpose of making it in the first place. To succeed in your business, you should create an amazing website with a unique web design. It is important to know about the types of web design to choose the right one for you.

What is Web Design?

A web design refers to the design of the website. It is a process of gathering ideas, planning, visualizing, arranging, and maintaining the content online. At first, web designing only focused on desktop browsers. But in the mid-2010s, designing for small gadgets like tablets and cellphones has become important. It is not all about aesthetics and layouts but also includes the overall functionality of the website. This design includes user interface design, mobile apps, and web apps. With the help of a good type of web design, you can also rank highly in search.

However, to design a good website you don’t only need a website designer. There are various components that play an important part. For the finished experience of any website, you will need graphic design, interface design, search engine optimization (SEO), user experience design, and content creation. To indicate a good type of web design following elements can be considered; aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and suits both the brand and user group.

There are many ways you can turn your website design ideas into a reality. You can also use website design templates. Or maybe even hire a website design software or a website design company. But most importantly, you need to be aware of the types of web design. This way, you will be able to choose the right one for your company or for yourself.

Methods of designing a website

Out of many, the most common method for designing a website is responsive and adaptive design. Both of these methods work well on mobile and desktop. A design that has fixed layout sizes to match the common screen sizes is known as an Adaptive design. While responsive design is a design in which the content moves according to the screen size.

Some people often mistake web design and web development for the same thing. But there is a huge difference between them. A web developer codes the website. They use programming languages like HTML and CSS. Web developers make the website functional. Whereas, web designers generate ideas to develop a website. They take ideas and turn them into a mockup to show what your future website will look like.

Now that we have a clear idea of what is web design. Let’s move forward to the types of web design. There are no limited types of website design, but here are some of the common and most used ones.

Static Web Design

Static web design is the simplest and go-to design for personal or business use. It is a series of HTML files in which one file is equal to one page of the site. Pages stored are in the same format as HTML. Companies or individuals use this type of web design to post all the related information. With the help of static web design, you introduce your information to the online world. It is the easiest type of web design to develop but has limited functionalities. In order to develop this web, you can hire a static web designer once. And you will be good to go. There are also many static website design companies and static website design software which any individual can use.

To generate this type of web design, it’s important to understand the client’s business needs. A designer will have to properly analyze the client’s requirements. A static website designer will come up with a suitable design after analyzing it. This design layout will help turn your business logic into a web application.

However, you can’t tell immediately if a website is static or not. But if a site looks basic and very “to the point”, the chances are it’s a static website. Or even if it simply delivers the basic information without any kind of whistles and bells. To update the site, good knowledge of basic programming language and web development is a must. The cost of developing these websites is relatively low. Most small companies or start-ups opt for this type of web design.

The major benefit of a static web design is it’s cheap to host. In addition, they are also super quick to develop as compared to other types of web design. Some of the disadvantages of static web design are; website content becomes stagnant, requires skills and expertise to update, and the website feels dull after some time and less functional as compared to others. They offer a simple yet powerful presentation of the content. People who want to showcase any specific information should opt for static web design.

Dynamic Web Design

These types of web design can be simple or complex depending on the customer’s design. A dynamic web design can be defined as a bunch of pieces that combine and form a page. A dynamic website is also known as a fluid website. They use server technologies like JavaScript, ASP, JSP, or PHP to develop the website. These websites take longer to develop and can be updated by anyone with no HTML knowledge. A dynamic website features discussion boards, e-commerce systems, content management systems, and dynamic publishing capabilities. A very common dynamic website design example is Google.

These websites are designed with functionality as their main focus, rather than just for display purposes. The dynamic website features change according to the viewer, time, location, viewer’s native language, time zone, and others. When a dynamic website is accessed, the code within the page is analyzed on the webserver. As a result, the final HTML is sent to the user’s web browser.

The content of this website is regularly updated. That’s how different users see different information. Any information that the user sees depends on multiple factors. They access information from a database. If any information stored in the database changes, the webpage changes accordingly. Such a website allows users to generate or customize content with the help of tags, filters, etc. In comparison to a static website, they take a slower time to load. But in terms of proportion, it looks the same in every device.

A dynamic website has a more vibrant look and feels as compared to a static website. It allows working as a system by letting users or staff collaborate. The advantage of developing a dynamic website is that it is more functional, easier to update and change, and has fresh content for the users to enjoy. By updating new content regularly, people will visit the site more frequently. The development of this website is more expensive as compared to a static website. However, there are many options available to get the work done like dynamic website design company, dynamic website design software, etc.

Responsive Web Design

Every other person wants a cell phone version of their website. Practically, it can be considered essential. Out of many other types of web design, responsive design is ideal for this purpose. A responsive web design is designed to look great on all types of devices or screens. It is designed to automatically adjust for different viewports and screen sizes. To resize, shrink, hide or enlarge a website and its content, HTML or CSS is used. It responds to the user’s environment and behavior.

Practicing the development of a responsive web design requires a mix of flexible layouts, grids, images, etc. And most importantly good command of the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) media queries. Responsive web design CSS is the most frequently used method to create a website. In the coming future, it will definitely be usable and gain more demand in the industry. Another method to develop such a type of website is by using JavaScript. It can also be a backup for those devices that don’t support CSS3 media query options.

The major benefit of using these types of web design is one site for all types of devices. Even the designer doesn’t have to invest all his time in creating a website. You can view the site from multiple devices. It offers optimal design for every device. For such designs, it requires the use of redirects. This sends the user to a suitable version of a web page. Without redirects, a user can access content easier and quicker.

As a company, user experience on your website should be the utmost priority. With responsive web design, your viewers will be able to engage more with your site. There won’t be any unnecessary white space, slow loading, etc. They can access your site on any device, at any time.

Adaptive Web Design

There is a long debate on adaptive vs responsive design. Both of the designs are often mistaken as one. But there are some key differences that set them both apart. An adaptive design uses static layouts. These static layouts are based on breakpoints that stop responding once they are loaded. It is designed in such a way that it detects the screen size and loads the suitable layout accordingly. In general, a designer would design an adaptive website for six different screen widths. These range between 320 to 1600. It may look like a lot of work as one has to design six different layouts. But responsiveness can be more complex in this situation.

An adaptive web design comes in handy for retrofitting an existing website. Retrofitting is done to make the site more mobile-friendly. This allows the designer to take control of the design. While developing the site for multiple viewports. You can choose the number of screen widths that you are willing to develop. According to your and your company’s needs and your budget. The adaptive design offers you more control than the responsive design.

With the help of adaptive design, you can design to maximize advertisements for your users. For designing different screen resolutions, you can also access your user’s specified needs. In speed, adaptive design outperforms. It is 3x times faster than a responsive web design.

There are some disadvantages of adaptive web design. Firstly, it requires a lot more work to develop. And isn’t as easy as it seems. At times, adaptive web design can leave users hanging in the middle. For example; notebook or tablet users will be left as designers only cater to desktop or smartphone users. Keep in mind, adaptive design may keep you back on SEO. As search engines have trouble ranking identical content on various sites.

Fixed Design

Fixed web design is the same as static web design. The only difference is that it has a fixed width in pixels. These websites consist of a wrapper-like element. This element is set to not move and has a fixed width. Whereas, components inside it can have a percentage width or fixed width. It doesn’t depend on the screen resolution of the visitor. Every person on any device will see the same width as other users.

A large ratio of designers prefers fixed web page design to any other type. It can be because of several reasons. In these types of web design, you have full control over the look of the site. Fixed web design is easier to make and doesn’t require a lot of time. Customization in terms of design is also easier. The designer also has the assurance of what he sees will be the exact same as what the user sees.

Since the width remains the same, there is less disturbance with the images, alignment, forms, videos, and other content. You don’t have to hassle between choosing a minimum or maximum width. The website and its content will be compatible with any size of screen. The most commonly used width size of fixed web design is 960px. It is also considered to be a standard size.

With all the advantages it has to offer, there are some downsides too. Using a fixed layout can create white space on large screen resolutions. You will also need to use seamless texture, image continuation, and patterns. For people with small screen resolutions, it may require a horizontal scroll bar. But it totally depends on the fixed layout’s width. When it comes to usability, the overall score of the fixed-width layout is lower.

Fluid Design

A fluid web design also known as a liquid layout uses a percentage for width. It has some similar properties to responsive web design. But the major difference is that they don’t rely on fixed units. Because of using the same percentage of space, it is always able to fill the width of a page. As an outcome, all the columns are relative to each other and the browser allows it to scroll fluidly. People use a specific value of measurement units for any object that is a part of the WordPress style.

It is made up of a fluid grid that remains the same size. And by allowing the main content to adjust on a smaller screen when vertical columns are in place. In a fluid web design, the white space between browsers and screen resolutions is the same. This design is more appealing to the viewers. Use a simple design as it will be easier to develop and maintain, with time. This makes your site more compatible with different screen resolutions. Fluid web pages are user-friendly and change according to the user’s setup. An example of fluid web design is the Apple store website.

However, there are several reasons why a designer may not use fluid page designs. A designer doesn’t have much control over what the user sees. This results in overlooking many problems. Because the layout looks different on their specific screen resolution. Videos, images, or any other type of content need to be set at multiple widths. If there isn’t enough content to display at large screen resolution, then it may create excess white space. This results in ruining the aesthetic appeal.

A fluid design isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Neither any other type of web design is. When choosing a fluid web design for your site, there are some elements to consider. Use an audience metric to inform where you store your design resources. If the website content like text, images, or interactive features are in small amounts, then you can easily use a purely fluid design. For a guide, mapping your layout with wireframes can be helpful. For assurance, test your site on a number of different screen sizes.

Elastic Design

A combination of fixed and fluid design is called Elastic design. This is your go-to option if you are looking for something in between both designs. This design works by sizing all the elements of the site with em’s. An EM is a box or square of font sizes. Since the sizes of fonts differ, it is a relative unit. Elastic layouts respond to the user’s text preference.

Professional designers like Artisticore and many others prefer elastic design more as it has more benefits. It enhances the usage and accessibility of a site without compromising on design. You have to use an elastic layout properly to make it user-friendly. Mainly because it lets the user resize everything according to their own preference. An elastic layout contains the benefits of both, fluid and fixed web design.

Even though it can be user-friendly but it can also create difficulty in usability. Elastic design requires a lot of testing to get it right for all types of users. If compared with a fluid and fixed design, it is harder to create. Not only it consumes more time to develop but can also not be worth the hassle. Developing elastic designs may require cheats for IE6 and supplementary style sheets.

Illustration Web Design

You can add some spice to your web design by introducing illustrations to it. It can never go wrong and will always give your site a unique look. Illustrations are a vibrant and varied form of communication. In easy words, they speak for themselves and communicate with the user. The effect of illustration is way far different from photographs.

In recent times, using illustrations online has brought humor, vibrancy, and clarity to businesses. It helps to convey their stories more clearly. But if you lack a strategic vision, illustration types of web design can become stale. Wise use of illustration types of web design makes the company’s service relatable and its product more desirable. It must grab the attention of the users with a unique style and concept.

There can several reasons why a brand needs illustration. One of the many benefits is its creativity and uniqueness. It helps a brand to stand out by being different from others. If you use the same old images as others, then you are doing branding wrong. It adds fun to a boring site. By using illustrations. Brands can represent themselves, their message, and their services in eye-catching ways. This also increases engagement on your website. Your site becomes interactive, and the user stays longer on the site and digs deeper into what you have to offer. It becomes more inviting and represents a more focused message.

A big no for illustration types of web design is not to use it for just aesthetics. If you are not conveying any specific message or it doesn’t fit the style of your web design, it becomes irrelevant. A web design is a functional product. To fancy a web design, try not to add any additional elements. It’s important for the illustration to blend in with other content of the site. Web design is a very important piece of the puzzle. It’s a part of the website that users actually get to see. So decide accordingly if you should opt for these types of web design or not.

Single Page Web Design

A single-page web design is trending and popular, at the moment. Out of all the types of web design. This type is fun, minimal and to the point. The best single-page web design help to convey the message in a few scrolls. It is compatible with almost every internet browser. For a well-designed site hire a professional designer. Basically, it’s a site that contains only one HTML page. So, there are no additional web pages like Contact Us, Features, FAQ, or About pages.

In this web design, the content is loaded at all times. Resulting in a more continuous experience for the user. The purpose of such web design is to provide the right amount of information to the viewer. It helps remove any noise from the interface by letting the user focus on only important content. One-page web design is great for responsive mobile websites. Because of less content, it easily adapts to smaller screens.

But single-page web design is not great for SEO. They can affect your chances of ranking with Google. Resulting in fewer conversions and engagements. It is not a great choice for growing brands. Even if you are just starting up, consider where your brand will stand in the next 5 years and then choose. Moreover, you will only have one URL to work with.

The Bigger Picture

Clearly, there are many types of web design to choose from. As we have mentioned above. When making a decision for a web design for your site, pay attention to all the minor details. Keep in mind what your brand needs, your budget, and the usability of the website. The types of web design you use deserve more attention than the fonts or color themes. Times and situations keep changing, so picking the right design should be done methodically. Once you have that figured out, you can go ahead with the further process.