A design language according to Wikipedia is-
An overarching scheme or style that guides the design of a complement of products or architectural settings.
Well, in the world of Internet, a design language should…
1. Inspire confidence among people
Head over to ueno.co , a digital agency in SF, NY, LA and Reykjavik. When you see their landing page and scroll down, they’ve listed all the projects that they’ve worked on so far. When a user landing on Ueno’s page sees that they’ve done all these projects, he’s going to say ‘ok, these guys know what they’re doing’ and soon he’s going to go on to work with them. That’s what good design should do - it should inspire people to work with you and your website is a great way to show people how good you are at what you do. The design language that you follow can convert visitors into potential customers with a single glance or push them to click away.
2. Provide Consistency
Have you ever visited Apple’s website? When you’re at the first page on apple.com, the iPhone X greets you followed by the iPhone 8, Watch Series 3, iPad, Mac and more as you scroll down - it even shows a link to the jam sessions at the Apple Store. What we notice here is the pattern that they have followed - their products are sorted based on the need (that’s why the iPhone is at the top followed by the Apple Watch, iPad and Mac), the color is balanced and every section is given its due importance. This pattern explains one thing - consistency. It doesn’t make sense to use one style at the beginning of the page and then use an entirely different style by the end of the page or in subsequent pages. Follow the same design language from start to finish as this builds up on the trust factor as well - after all, design languages are a brand’s best friend when it comes to creating consistency.
3. Great first impression
The first impression always goes a long way. Get all artillery out, and blow your audience away with the first look. Since a product or website is judged on the basis of it’s design language, make it classy, edgy and intelligent. This will make visitors come back to you to get a good look at what you’ve got to offer. Remember, every first impression forms every last impression - so impress them and leave them wanting more 😉
4. Showcase quality
The language that you follow communicates what you stand for - it’s a true testament of the work that you’ve done so far and the work that is to follow. Ueno talks about the design, branding and marketing that they’ve done for their clients - like Ueno, quoting all of your projects on the landing page speaks volumes about the kind of work that you do.
5. Financial value
Once you’ve spent time and really thought about how the website should look and feel, how to reduce errors and improve efficiency, it’s time to think about how much money to spend on these factors and actually make it work. A good design language helps lower cost and also helps brands be quicker to the punch - because when the opportunity presents itself, with a design language on your side you’re more ready to take advantage of it, and respond more effectively. And the consistency that you create in meeting the audiences’ expectations also establishes the premium that you can command - whether that’s a higher price for a product or higher donations. Be reasonable with the price point then demand and deliver through your product’s language and design.
And that’s why your business needs a good design language. Ready to adopt a design language? Talk to us , we’ve got some experience in the area!