There are two elements that deserve focus when we consider design – usability and aesthetics. While distinct, these two elements are also intertwined. Together, they create engaging experiences. Usability focuses on functionality and practicality, while aesthetics adds elements that serve to capture and keep our attention. Both elements affect our emotions in different ways. Understanding the two, how they are different, and where they intersect can help to achieve your creative vision.

Understanding Usability

Usability focuses on creating designs that are intuitive, simple, and easy to use. Focusing on usability means ensuring that users can interact with the design, whether it’s a product or an interface, effortlessly and easily. Usability will use elements such as color, form, composition, and typography in consideration of the usability of a design.

The Aesthetics Affect

Usability focuses on the functional aspects of design, aesthetics bring life to it. Aesthetics build on usability, stimulating and engaging our senses, evoking emotions, and creating visually captivating experiences. Aesthetics will incorporate the same elements as usability such as color, form, composition, and typography in consideration of creating visually pleasing and engaging designs.

The Union of Usability and Aesthetics

Both Usability and Aesthetics take the same elements into account, but each with their own focus. When the two are considered together, design becomes more holistic. They are both efficient and visually appealing. Both elements compliment each other, enhancing the overall experience and leaving a positive lasting impression. When considering your branding, both aesthetics – the way things look, and usability – the way that things act, should be considered. Individually they are both representations of your brand, while working together to strengthen each other and your brand.

The consideration of both aesthetics and usability will help to create a positive emotional impact on your users. This can serve to both retain current users, and create an opportunity to attract additional users.

Striking a Balance

Achieving a balance between both usability and aesthetics requires a thoughtful approach. This approach requires thoughtful consideration, user research, and a design process that will allow you to iterate as you refine your approach. Here are just a few standard strategies for combining these elements to create balance.

Accessibility

There are accessibility standards for color and design, helping to make experiences useful for all people. These standards and approaches focus on usability for all, while remaining focused on aesthetic appeal. Just a few of these considerations include:

• Providing alternative text or captions for images when appropriate. A Content Management System like WordPress makes it easy to add alternative text and captions to images.
• Using proper color contrast. A recent favorite is https://colourcontrast.cc/
• Offering Keyboard navigation options. Again, Content Management Systems take things like tab order into consideration by allowing you to customize the order of things like navigation. If you are building something from scratch, it’s worth considering the taborder element.
• Video captions: YouTube will automatically caption your videos, through it may not be 100% correct without some assistance from you.

Visual Hierarchy

There are multiple visual cues that can help users to understand the visual hierarchy of your designs. Cues such as color, size and contrast will help to guide users’ attention. When considering usability, color alone should not be a cue, as not accounting for color blindness can both frustrate some users and leave your design less usable. Grouping elements helps to communicate visual hierarchy as well. Grouping elements can communicate the interconnected nature of elements in your design.

Responsive Design

Over 60% of the global internet population uses a mobile device to go online, and this usage is projected to increase. Designing with a mobile first mindset has become the default. Designing for mobile devices will allow your designs to be more usable. Aesthetics can also be applied to this consideration, striking a balance between form and function. Prioritize content hierarchy and readability, ensuring that information is accessible on various devices.

Consistency & Clarity

You can maintain a consistent visual language throughout your design aesthetic through use of elements such as color, typography, and layout. This will allow you to represent your visual identity and carry your brand. Additionally, you can ensure consistency in usability through consideration of user experience. A design framework will allow you to approach both aesthetics and usability in a consistent manner. Design with simplicity in mind and remove unnecessary elements that would hinder usability.

Conclusion

Design that strives to strike a balance between usability and aesthetics can transform ordinary design into purposeful experiences. Designers can both fulfill needs through usability and engage senses through aesthetics. Together these elements create a positive emotional impact, leaving a positive impression on users’ hearts and minds.