The design is as beautiful as it is practical

In the context of web design, many elements can be categorized as "attractive" or "beautiful". But precisely because this is web design, beauty can be superficial here. Should a site be considered beautiful if it has a lot of drop shadows, gradients or reflections? Or accents on large detailed buttons? Is this the criteria for beauty in web design? Below is a comparison of the two views of the navigation bar.

Is the top option more comfortable just because it looks better? The ugly version below may be more convenient and understandable for the visitor.

When designing, a designer should keep in mind only 2 points:

1) interactivity and intuitive perception of elements;

2) following the brand and style constancy.

Interactive and intuitive page elements make the design functional. If a particular design element makes the site friendlier or contains subtle hints for the user, this improves the experience and usability of the site.

On the Design Informer site, the search field is highlighted when hovering over with the mouse. This unobtrusive feature looks very elegant in WebKit browsers because CSS3 provides animated highlighting. This very simple effect prompts the user that he is dealing with an active element and makes the search field more attractive.

The very possibility of adding effects does not mean that they need to be used everywhere and at every step. Using effects in html5 and css3 does not yet add design skills. Add an element only if it adds additional convenience to the design. If the design is not made more user-friendly with specific techniques (CSS3, JavaScript, or whatever), then the designer should reconsider whether to add additional code. “Decorating” a design can go so far as to backfire, so before you add any elements, make sure they are helpful and not harmful.

If a particular element is included in the overall corporate identity of the site, complements its image or reputation, then we can say with confidence that it improves the usability of it. If any branding solution is clearly planned, then it will not be just a decorative decoration. Carefully chosen colors and graphic elements encourage the visitor to make decisions and easily interact with the site.

Convenience should not be at the expense of beauty. The smoothness and beauty of the work should be seen from examples of beautiful sites that are both user-friendly and attractive. The beauty of the site is important, but beauty alone is not enough, and to call the design really beautiful, you need it to be functional, fit for a specific purpose and serve the attractiveness, usefulness and recognition of the site. All these parameters make up the total effect of the design.