Since the Internet’s expansion in the late 90s, its capabilities have expanded to billions of people across the world, not only transformed cultures, but also shaping users’ minds.
With digital content at your fingertips at any moment of the day, consumers’ attention spans have evolved and shortened. And, with more than 100 million active websites, standing out has never been more critical. Creative design can make a significant difference in your project’s success. Evoking emotion when consumers are viewing content for the first time can impact whether or not a consumer will continue to engage with your content. To put it simply, if your content looks bland, consumers will navigate to something else that catches their eye.
Finding your audience and tailoring design to fit their interests is vital. Every consumer should be marketed to differently. For example, if you’re targeting baby boomers, a static and straightforward layout that favors functionality will be more successful than a vibrant page with lots of moving parts. An easy solution is always implementation of white space on your page; it is clean and easy to navigate for any consumer. For a web design that focuses on creativity and vibrant spaces and relates more to a millennial audience, consider implementing appropriate animations, a popular design tactic often used to foster successful engagement. This is especially helpful for Gen Z users; their attention span is fewer than eight seconds.
At the end of the day, websites accomplish goals, whether you want to share information, entertain, or sell. If the purpose of your site is to sell a product or service, those products and services should be front and center and easy to find. If your goal is to drive information, then maybe you can be more creative with your interface. Image sliders with information and relevant images that evoke viewers’ emotion is an excellent way to grab attention. Creative design can transform a one-time viewer into a recurring consumer, ultimately allowing you to meet all of your business goals.
Being unique in a creative space like the Internet can be challenging, but vital to your success. Grabbing attention has never been more essential and standing out will give you an edge over your competition.
Brock, Summer 2019 Zintern
