1. Hero Sections and User Attention

- Users spend 80% of their time above the fold and decide within 3 seconds if they'll stay or bounce.
- Effective hero sections must answer:
    - What is this?
    - What's in it for me?
    - What should I do next?
- Clarity and directness are key to reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement.

2. Color Psychology and Contrast

- Colors influence emotions and conversion:
    - Blue = Trust (e.g., banks)
    - Green = Growth (e.g., eco-brands)
    - Red = Urgency (e.g., sales)
- High contrast is essential for readability; use contrast-checking tools to ensure accessibility.

*   **Color Palette:** Define primary, secondary, and accent colors with their hex codes.

3. Navigation Patterns and User Flow

- Users scan in F-patterns on desktops and Z-patterns on mobile.
- Place crucial navigation elements along these patterns for intuitive navigation.
- Avoid burying important links more than 3 levels deep as users typically abandon searches after 3-4 clicks.

4. Responsive Design and Mobile Usability

- Design for purpose: Every element on mobile must justify its space due to limited screen real estate.
- Ensure touch targets are at least 44x44 pixels to accommodate "fat finger" usage.
- Prioritize speed and simplicity to cater to distracted mobile users.

5. Typography and Performance Optimization

- Variable fonts improve load times by combining multiple weights into one file.
- Pairing Tips:
    - Serif for titles and Sans Serif for body text improve readability.
    - Using the same Sans Serif family with different weights provides consistency.
- Limit font weights to necessary styles to enhance performance.

*   **Typography:** Define primary (headings) and secondary (body text) fonts. Ensure they are available in Google Fonts for easy application in Docs/Sheets/Slides.


### 9 Web Design Hack
- Break up big chunks of text;  50-75 characters (600-700px)
- Bullet points with Icons;  our brain love lists.
- Use a consistent spacing system 
  - Start with a baseline value
  - separate groups by at least double
  - keep the distance between big groups similar
- Use ratios for the line-height - 
  - display 1 to 1 ratio
  - paragraph 1 to 1.5 ratio
- Refine text with letter-spacing - 
  - display fonts -1px
  - body text 0px/default
  - CTAS 1px
- font superfamilies - source, roboto, dm, noto
- find color palettes with css overview (devtools > more tools > css overview > capture)
- be subtle with design elements - content is the star of the show. so use:
  - gradients
  - soft textured backgrounds
  - shadows
  - dont over design
- use the squint test to check hierarchy

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→ 9 Web Design Hacks I Wish I Knew Years Ago

6. Performance and Micro-Interactions

- 1-second delay can cost significant revenue (e.g., Amazon's $1.6 billion loss).
- Use lazy loading for images and avoid heavy background videos.
- Micro-interactions should be subtle, enhancing UX without overwhelming users.

7. Role of AI in Web Design

- AI can accelerate the design process but should complement, not replace, human creativity.
- Use AI tools for brainstorming and repetitive tasks while trusting human instincts for nuanced design decisions.
- >>my view on AI as tool

Brand Guidelines

*   **Brand Guidelines Document:** Create a simple internal document (e.g., a Google Doc or Slide) summarizing all these elements. This is your bible for template creation.

*   **Logo & Variations:** Ensure you have high-resolution versions (PNG with transparent background, SVG if possible).
*   **Imagery Style:** Define the overall look and feel of images (e.g., minimalist, vibrant, professional, illustrative).
*   **Tone of Voice:** How does your business communicate? (e.g., formal, friendly, authoritative, innovative). This influences text placeholders and instructions.
  

[[250224-25 Years of Web Design Knowledge in 7 Minutes - Essential Web Design Insights]]