here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. And we work with companies and businesses across the region, to deliver high quality, effective, web design solutions. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about alignment in web design.
What is alignment in web design?
Alignment is all about the positioning of your elements, including text and imagery, as well as buttons, and content boxes. To align something in web design means to position the elements within a straight line, or in the correct positioning. For some web design schemes, alignment is purposefully broken, to create an asymmetrical design. However, the elements themselves will instead be aligned in some way. This will ensure:
- There is equal space around and between content
- Content appears in spaces where this is expected by website users
- Each text paragraph is aligned together, even if this is different to the rest of the page
What is the importance of alignment in web design?
The right alignment in your webdesign can be crucial for a number of reasons, including:
- Responsive design- the alignment of elements within your website can be a big part of responsive design. This is because when the website is loaded from a device with a smaller screen size, such as a smart phone, the layout and structure will change to something that you have pre-planned. However, this change will relate tot he alignment and positioning of space between and within elements. So if your alignment is not spot on, you could find half of your text missing from the screen, or buttons or forms that are unable to be clicked or filled in. This type of error not only drives potential customers or clients away from your website, but it can also have a negative impact on your website ranking, on the search engine results page. This is because search engines like Google pay close attention to mobile web design performance, and rank sites accordingly, to give the user the best possible experience.
- Functionality- its not just mobile design that can be effected negatively by poor alignment. In general, your website elements need to align for full functionality. If your website user thinks they are pressing a button or link, but this is not properly aligned, they may simply think your website is broken. Not only will they leave, but they will also be less likely to feel positively about your company. Misaligned text and imagery can also be very off putting, and become difficult to concentrate on. Text that is aligned in all different ways will certainly be difficult to read. The right alignment can avoid all of these issues, and keep your potential customers or clients happy.
- Professionalism- finally, using the right alignment in web design can be crucial for projecting the right image of professionalism and quality. After all, your website is a visual extension of your company, and may be the only representation of your company or brand online. As a result, it is important for this to reflect the quality and value of your company.
For more information or advice, or for professional and effective web design and web marketing solutions for your business, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.