Designing a website to drive your sales and promote your company online can be incredibly lucrative. Whether you’re a small, local business, or a multi-national corporation, you can have an equal chance at attracting web traffic online. This is because everyone is using the same marketing and advertising techniques, on the same platforms. And thanks to Google, your search results are personalised based on your location. But your web design needs to be effective in order to really capitalize on your marketing efforts. From the colours to the type font, every design choice you make will influence the overall appeal of your website. But have you considered the shape of the elements? Simple shapes can play a role in your web design. And making the right choices can determine your success. As a result, there is a lot of discussion about the benefit of rounded shapes, in contrast to squares or rectangles. Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we work with companies across the North West and the Manchester region to deliver high quality web design solutions. As a result, we have produced this guide to web design and rounded buttons.
Web design and rounded buttons
So why is there such a discussion about rounded buttons? And why are they in competition with squares and rectangles. Well, some people argue that rounded edges are believed to be the best choice for elements that demand attention. So for example, the Call to Action button should be a rounded rectangle, or an ovular or circular shape. And there are a number of reasons for this belief, that fall into certain categories. These include:
- drawing attention to the element
- visual processing
- information processing
Attention grabbing circles
When you look at your mobile phone or laptop screen, you’re looking into a rectangle. When you load a website, or social media page, things fall neatly into rectangles and squares. Just look at instagram for the perfect example. So using a circular, or rounded edge button is a fantastic way to break up this grid like structure, and inject something out of the ordinary. And when you’re especially thinking about your call to action button, the more attention it can get, the better!
Visual processing
At the same time, it can be argued that circles, and shapes without edges, are far easier for human brains to process. Rounded edges are just easier on the eye. In fact, when trying to process a rectangle, in comparison to a circle, there are more neurons involved in the actual processing. And as web design should be aiming to provide the best and easiest user experience, it would seem that buttons with rounded edges are just easier to acknowledge.
Information processing
Finally, the user that interacts with your call to action button doesn’t simply need to process the shape, but the information inside this as well. And, you guessed it, a rounded button makes this easier. This is because when you look at a rectangular shape, your attention is drawn to the sharp edges, on the outside of the box. These edges point away from the content and deflect the eye back onto the page. In contrast, rounded edges fold the corners back in, which also draws the eye to the content inside the box.
Do rounded buttons really matter?
So, in terms of web design and rounded buttons, what’s the deal? Well, the arguments for rounded buttons are persuasive, and it’s definitely worth experimenting with the shape of your buttons to find your own answers. However, there are a whole host of other web design issues that can impact on the success of your website. These include:
- the imagery
- the layout
- the colour scheme
- the colour of the call to action button
- the size of the call to action button
- the typography
- and the copy itself
For more information and advice about all things web design, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.