graphic design

small design web icon

Why Your Web Agency Should Be Committed to Creating Less E-Waste

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Old electronics — such as computers, televisions and cell phones — are considered e-waste. How you get rid of these items can impact the environment. Focusing on green production helps companies protect the environment for future generations, be good stewards of their local resources and reach like-minded consumers wanting to embrace an eco-cause.

Committing to reduced carbon output and preserving resources is easier than you might think. You will gain a lot of traction with those wanting to do business with eco-friendly companies. Here are some things you could do and why you should be doing them.

1. Recycle and Reuse

The Environmental Protection Agency mentions recycling electronics reduces pollution by lessening the amount of new materials necessary to produce new items. It also keeps old devices out of landfills. Some e-waste leaches into the soil and contaminates groundwater, impacting everything from local wildlife to human drinking water.

Upgrading a computer system rather than completely replacing it might also save your agency money. Electronics are a considerable expense, so stretching them further is sensible.

2. Sell Old Devices

Small businesses often need upgrades to keep software up to date or keep up with a growing enterprise. If you are scaling up by buying new electronics, consider how well the old ones work. Are they in a condition where you could reset them to factory settings, trade them in or sell them to make a few bucks?

You can even offset the cost of purchasing new electronics by selling your current equipment. You will reduce e-waste and get paid to do it.

3. Keep Devices Out of Landfills

It might be tempting to pitch that smartphone that no longer works and send it out with the trash. However, this is not the best way to dispose of electronic devices.

Experts estimate people around the globe contributed about 33.8 million metric tons of e-waste in 2010, but the number keeps rising as new phone models, computer hard drives and other modern electronics advance rapidly. Make it a policy to recycle responsibly if you must trade your old devices in for new ones.

4. Know the Laws in Your State

Regulations surrounding e-waste vary from state to state and even from one town to the next, so learn the rules where you run your business so you do not rack up any fines. Some laws are more stringent than others. If you are not sure you comply, talk with an expert on local regulations and ensure you change policies as necessary to meet expectations.

5. Pay Attention to Partnerships

Who does your web agency partner with and how do they handle e-waste? Look at all your service providers as well as suppliers. For example, if you work with a hosting company for your website, be aware of its ongoing impact on the environment and whether it throws old servers into landfills.

Web hosting is a $90.42 billion industry with steady growth. You can find an organization with similar policies to yours regarding reducing carbon footprint. Ask the tough questions to verify you are doing your part and any company you support is, too.

6. Be Aware of Toxic Substances

As electronic parts break down, they seep back into the environment, and can poison local land and water. Some items are worse than others. Do your due diligence and research how to reduce the toxic waste your enterprise produces. Also, take the time to look for ways to ensure your old electronics do not turn into a problem for future generations.

7. Fund Research

Taking items to dedicated recycling centers is sometimes the only option. However, scientists are researching how you can recycle different components and reuse them instead of just throwing them away.

For example, one European project called CROCODILE considers cobalt recycling and how old batteries can take on new life. Look for cutting-edge solutions to a growing problem and invest in them to improve the impact of e-waste in the future.

How Worried Should Your Brand Be About E-Waste?

It might seem like a small contribution to delay buying new machines or recycling responsibly. After all, giant corporations may not be overly concerned about doing the same and they have much more of an impact. It is crucial to remember that if smaller brands come together and do their part, they can set an example for the rest of the world and safeguard the environment.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

Mastering the Art of Product Page Designs

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Product page designs can make or break conversion rates. Big players, such as Amazon and Walmart, use a formula to ensure each page has images, descriptive text and calls to action (CTA) to drive buyers through the sales funnel. Outside of the basic data each page needs, there are a number of things e-commerce brands can do to improve customer experience (CX) and see an increase in revenue.

The best way to figure out how to create stellar product page designs is by studying what successful companies do. Here are six favorite examples and why they work.

1. Grab Their Attention

Consumers see numerous ads each day. Standing out from the noise of marketing means companies must figure out how to grab attention. The headline or product title is often the first thing users see. A descriptive heading pulls them in and answers the question of whether the item is right for their needs.

Source: https://bellroy.com/products/slim-sleeve-wallet

Bellroy sells slim wallets with lots of storage. They use pointed headlines, such as “Slim Sleeve,” “Hide & Seek” and “Flip Case.” The user knows what the product is when they click on the landing page link.

People also have no question about the product’s category from these descriptive terms. The keywords shoppers are most likely to use can serve as an excellent way to refine headings.

Spend time on the call to action (CTA) and make sure the wording engages the user. Use action words and keep the language short.

2. Use Clear Images

A crucial part of product page designs is showcasing the product via photos. For e-commerce stores, the user has no way to experience the item if they don’t do so through visuals. They aren’t in a physical store where they can touch, smell and hold the product in their hands. Photos are one of the ways they can understand the finer details of an item’s design.

When researchers asked people what website features they value, 91% said visuals attracted them. The images must tell a story and showcase inventory from all angles. Consider what the consumer most wants to know before making a purchase. Showing color might require a close-up of the surface. Size needs a comparison to a familiar object. Answer the questions users have before they ask them.

Source: https://www.towersealants.com/products

Tower Sealants shows how much images add to a product description. Each of their product packaging designs comes in a different color to make it easily recognizable. Customers who’ve ordered the item in the past can easily identify it.

Note the similar placement for images in each product box. The user knows where to look for the image and glances to the right each time as they scan down the product page’s design. Showing some consistency helps show a company is reliable.

3. Create a Hierarchy

The best designs embrace a visual hierarchy. The impact is subtle but still draws the user in and makes pages predictable. Create a visual hierarchy with a color palette, text size and style. For example, you might bold the title and make it larger than the body text.

Source: https://www.seattlechocolate.com/collections/best-sellers/products/sip-sip-hooray-truffle-bar

Seattle Chocolate Company uses bold and larger text for the product page title. They also bold the purchase options to make them stand out. Another thing they do to set a few features apart is use bold colors, such as pink for the reviews and green for the “Add to Cart” CTA.

4. Utilize the Power of Video

A video can say more about a product than static images. Add some music and text overlay and users become more likely to watch to the end and turn from browsers into buyers.

The 2023 Application of Video Marketing Statistics Report showed 91% of marketers use video content. Keep up with competitors by showcasing popular items and giving users an immersive experience.

Source: https://vflatworld.com

V-Flat World shows their photo backdrop boards in various settings and includes a video to explain how they work and how to set them up. Embedding the videos gives users an opportunity to see the product from different perspectives. Users can choose to view them or not, depending on where they are in the buyer’s journey and the push they need to know if the item is right for their needs.

5. Evoke Emotions With Color

Most product page designs use colors that pop to grab attention. However, the psychology of colors indicates some hues might bring forth emotions in the viewer.

For example, most people like the color blue. Red evokes passion and excitement. Black can be seen as elegant or serious.

Add product page design colors to your style guide so each item has a similar look. You may need to do some split testing to see which shades work best for your target audience.

Source: https://www.kettleandfire.com

Kettle & Fire uses three colors repeatedly throughout their site–a soft, earthy yellow, white and bright red. By using the red as more of an accent color, the design pulls the user in and encourages them to take action.

Note how the red is used in the discount offer selection box and the CTA. Because the rest of the page is neutral, the CTA pops and grabs attention. The color generates excitement and pushes the user to add the item to their cart.

Study Successful Product Page Designs to Learn

Which products sell best on the brand’s site? A clue to improving current descriptions is to repeat successes and replace failures. Apply the things learned from studying the website examples above and find the right combination of elements to drive conversions.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.



Seven Components of an Elegant Website

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Creating an elegant website helps people see the value of a product or service. Whether a brand wants a more traditional look or something refined, there are specific elements to include for a sophisticated tone.  

What Are the Characteristics of an Elegant Website?

With around 2.3 million active websites around the globe. Around three new sites are created every second of every day. Sites range from funny to serious and everything in between. Designs can range from vintage to grunge to the elegant websites discussed in this article. 

Although people often know elegance when they see it, defining it is a bit more challenging. Fortunately, scouring the internet for examples turns up some patterns in the things included in a site to make it look luxurious and traditional. 

Here are the top seven components that make an elegant website appealing.

1. Luxurious Colors

The color palette a brand chooses can make it seem more elegant. Hues such as pink and purple may seem more modern. Blue offers a serious feel used often by banks and financial institutions. Luxurious color options include soft cream colors, grays, taupes and gold. 

Source: https://www.emmemobili.it

Emmemobili offers beautiful wood furnishings that are the height of Italian luxury. To show their more elegant side, they offer photos of staged rooms showcasing their furniture. Note the use of creams, earth tones and gold centerpieces to pull it all together. When used in a way that balances the color palette, gold can add a touch of elegance to almost any website. 

2. Words

The words chosen for a website design make an impact on how users view the page. Elegance is often associated with soft sounding words and traditional language. Stay away from slang or harsh sounding words. 

For example, instead of describing a food product as bold, look for a different word such as spirited. Finding a softer or more traditional phrase can add elegance to a design. 

3. Beautiful Photos

Images bring so much to any website design. They can tell a story, set a tone and create consistency. Using big, beautiful pictures grabs the user’s interest and engages their imagination. 

Source: https://www.schonbek.com

Schonbek offers beautiful crystal chandeliers. To highlight their beautiful designs, they share photos on their website where the focal point is the product. However, the images themselves are of elegant rooms and simple backgrounds. The product descriptions feature the chandelier on a plain background so the only focus is on the beauty of the piece.

4. Typography

Choose the right typography for your design. Elegance is often associated with events and weddings. Choose beautiful calligraphy-style fonts for headings. Stick with a serif font, which has a more traditional look than sans-serif. 

Limit the options to two or three typefaces and stick with the same one throughout for a consistent look. When in doubt about whether or not to use a font, check out how it appears on both desktop and mobile devices. Is it still readable in smaller sizes? Will there be any confusion over which letters form which words? If anything is unclear, choose a different option for your typeface. 

5. Background

The right background color can make or break your elegant website. If you want a regal look, stick with golds. Purple also adds a royal touch to any site and can offset the gold. Whatever your brand’s color palette is, look for ways to incorporate at least a few luxury hues. 

Source: https://www.brownhotel.com

The Brown Hotel is known as a luxury hotel. Notice the elegance of the images shared in the hero image. Their design features a dark background with hints of gold throughout the design. A gold call to action (CTA) button appears in a side slide. 

Brands wanting to add a bit more elegance to their websites can add in hints of gold or other luxury colors without having to do a complete redesign. Popups and CTA buttons are a good place to add a bit of elegance without having to do a complete redesign. 

6. Whitespace

Elegant designs often have ample whitespace within the design. Don’t crowd too many elements together as it can reduce the luxurious look of the page. Most people associate elegance with spaciousness and airiness. Keep things light and well balanced so the user’s eye goes to the key features on the page. 

7. Timelessness

Choose elements that aren’t trendy. Adding things that go in and out of style is a sure way to not have an elegant website. Instead, stick to the looks, fonts and features used repeatedly for decades. Embrace the basics of good design such as clear navigational structure, beautiful imagery and classic color palettes. 

Source: https://www.godiva.com

Godiva does a good job keeping things timeless. The chocolate display features butterflies and florals–themes that repeat every spring. The CTA button is gold. The background for the header is black. One won’t see bold pops of accent colors on this site other than in a few images. The main elements stick to a tried and true palette and the accents are from nature. 

How to Build and Maintain Elegant Website

To keep a site on the luxurious side, consider every feature on the page. The colors should be classic, the fonts serif and scripts and the images ones people could see ten years ago, today and ten years from today. Stick with what is tried and true and the site will develop a natural elegance people will recognize. 

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

7 B2C Websites We Are Completely Entranced By

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Most small businesses who sell to consumers (B2C) have a website today. Finding the best ones to use as examples requires narrowing down options to various categories and then comparing a variety of options. Amazon is often considered the gold standard in e-commerce B2C websites, but there are many other examples that help with the best design elements as well.

Top Examples of B2C Websites

The United States Small Business Administration estimates there are around 33.2 million small businesses in the country. Although not all are B2C companies, millions of small businesses cater to consumers and have an online presence.

Whether a brand always has a site and wants to improve it or is looking to create a new design, there are a few things that make the top ones stand out from the rest. Here are some favorite elements to include:

1. Crumbl Cookies

Source: https://crumblcookies.com

Crumbl Cookies uses a video hero image to immediately engage site visitors. B2C websites should keep the consumer interacting from the moment they land on the page. Since most people have faster streaming than in the past and reliable internet connectivity, utilizing videos within designs can ramp up the success of any site.

2. Brighter Lights Media

Source: https://brighterlightsmedia.com

Brighter Lights Media uses a perfect mix of white space on their site. Since they offer a service where they film events, such as weddings, they already include video clips and beautiful images. However, creating the symmetrical balance between text, images and white space is challenging.

The site is a good one to study to fully understand the ample amounts of negative space needed to draw the user’s attention to specific elements on a B2C website and help them navigate the buyer’s journey.

3. Praxxis Pro

Source: https://praxxispro.com

Praxxis Pro does an excellent job of including a brightly colored call to action (CTA) button. Consider the best location for a CTA. Some sites include it on multiple pages or mainly on the home page. The sales model for a B2C website will determine where the CTA gets the best traction.

Businesses can also use some A/B testing and see which locations, colors and wording users respond best to for the CTA.

4. Zappos

Source: https://www.zappos.com

Zappos is one of the top shoe e-tailers today. One thing the site does particularly well is choosing categories most likely to be items people are looking for. B2C website owners should thinkthrough the most likely things people who land on the site seek. Hunting through top keywords is a good indicator.

Narrow the options down to five to seven categories and create a navigational hierarchy that makes the most sense for the business’s potential customers.

5. Max & Lily

Source: https://maxandlily.com

Max & Lily pulls in the help of a countdown timer. When companies put a time limit on a sale, it drives customers to go ahead and make a purchase. Once the user bounces away from a website to “think it over,” the chances of them returning are greatly reduced. Entice them to stay with a discount valid for a limited time.

Another option is to use the scarcity rule to make something seem more enticing. One study used two cookie jars to prove people want what they think others prefer. With two cookie jars, the scientists left one with only a couple cookies left and placed 10 in the other jar. People almost always selected a cookie from the almost empty jar.

Show how many of a popular item are left to entice site visitors to order immediately. Add a timer to put on even more pressure and encourage them to buy now rather than later.

6. Grovemade

Source: https://grovemade.com

Grovemade features a highly intuitive shopping experience. Users can easily add an item to their cart and take it back out with single clicks. The system suggests items usually purchased together or sends you to the next step of checking out with some simple CTAs.

Test out any shopping cart system and go with the one that integrates with other systems, such as inventory management. However, make sure it is user friendly and mobile responsive at the same time.

7. Skullcandy

Source: https://www.skullcandy.com

Skullcandy uses a gorgeous color palette to pull customers into their design and make them want to purchase their items. Don’t underestimate the power of color to engage users and create specific emotions.

Why does a business choose a specific color palette? Hopefully it’s created to cater to the company’s target audience and reach them on a deeper level. CTA buttons should pop against the background but also grab the user and make them want to take action.

Look for ways to try various colors and pay attention to contrast between background and text.

Find Success With B2C Websites

Whether one designs B2C websites or owns a company and wants a do it yourself option, adding in the elements above creates more opportunities for success. Spend a bit of time checking to see if the business’ website matches the needs and expectations of users.

Find ways to entice them from the second they land on the page and keep them moving forward throughout their journey on the site. The better a brand understands its users, the more successful a website will be.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.


Starting an Ecommerce Business from Scratch: The Do’s and The Don’ts

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

In recent years, the world has witnessed a growing surge in the popularity of e-commerce businesses. As more people turn to online shopping for convenience and accessibility, the opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to tap into this market have never been greater. Yet, for those looking to start their e-commerce business from scratch, it is crucial they launch it the right way.

Numerous challenges can come with establishing a new business venture, as the online world is highly competitive. However, every decision you make will significantly impact your venture’s growth and profitability.

Consider the do’s and don’ts of starting an e-commerce business from scratch, as they will ensure you build a solid foundation for success.

The Do’s of Starting an E-Commerce Business

Explore the essential do’s for launching a successful e-commerce business, as they will guide you through the key steps in building an online store.

1. Conduct Thorough Market Research

Market research is a vital first step in starting your e-commerce business. By conducting research thoroughly, you will gain valuable insights into your target audience, industry trends and potential opportunities. 

Additionally, a deep understanding of your niche allows you to tailor your products, marketing strategies and overall approach to cater to your customers’ needs and preferences. To ensure you conduct the right amount of research, invest time studying your competitors, identifying gaps in the market and analyzing consumer behavior. 

Utilize tools like Google Trends and social media platforms to capture current demands and emerging trends. Staying informed and adapting to market shifts will enable you to make well-informed decisions to get your business started.

2. Use the Right Packaging for Shipment

The right packaging for shipping plays a vital role in delivering exceptional customer experiences, as it impacts the product’s presentation and protection during transit. Research shows that businesses with high customer satisfaction have 5.7 times more revenue than their competitors. Therefore, investing in high-quality packaging that reflects your brand’s commitment to excellence is essential.

The best types of packaging should be lightweight, durable and water resistant, as these make an ideal choice for shipping various products. Your packaging should also be able to protect your items during transit while reducing shipping costs. 

Additionally, consider incorporating eco-friendly packaging materials and visually appealing designs that resonate with your audience. When you use the right packaging, you create memorable unboxing experiences. As a result, you bolster your customers’ satisfaction, encourage repeat purchases and enhance your company’s brand reputation. 

3. Focus on User-Friendly Web Design

A website’s design in e-commerce greatly impacts your customer’s shopping experience and conversion rate. Ensuring your website is clean, professional and easy to navigate will be more crucial than ever — as it allows customers to find products quickly and seamlessly.

Additionally, a user-friendly design lets customers complete their purchases with minimal friction. Consider prioritizing usability and aesthetics to create a positive first impression. For example, suppose you create a website banner to promote a sale. The right size can determine whether it will capture your users’ attention.

For instance, many consumers shop on their mobile devices, so it would be crucial to maintain 320×100 pixels for a responsive design.

Moreover, it is important to implement reduced page load times and streamlined checkout processes to accommodate mobile users. With a user-friendly web design for your online store, you will improve search engine rankings and customer satisfaction.

4. Choose the Right Products to Sell

The right products can directly affect your ability to attract customers and generate revenue. When selecting products to sell, consider aligning them with your passion and expertise. Doing so will make it easier to create compelling marketing campaigns and provide exceptional customer service. 

Additionally, it is essential to evaluate market demand, profit margins and the level of competition. That way, you can determine whether they will have any potential to yield a sustainable income for your business.

It is also important to strike a balance between following your interests and catering to your customers. Consider conducting extensive product research by analyzing the best-selling items in your niche. It also helps to keep seasonal demands in mind while exploring untapped markets.

Remember, the right product mix can be the key differentiating factor that sets your e-commerce business apart. Therefore, investing time in product research will be the greatest step in driving its growth.

The Don’ts of Starting an E-Commerce Business

Consider the don’ts of starting an e-commerce business, as they highlight the common pitfalls to avoid in building a thriving online store.

1. Neglect Customer Service

While it is easy to focus on the tangible aspects of your e-commerce business, neglecting customer service can harm your brand’s reputation. Exceptional customer support fosters customer loyalty, improves retention, and promotes positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Avoid this pitfall by prioritizing responsive and helpful customer service. Consider offering multiple channels for communication, such as email, live chat and social media. Train your support team to resolve issues effectively and empathetically, ensuring each customer interaction leaves a positive impression.

When you value customer service and consistently go the extra mile, you create a loyal customer base that may become your biggest brand advocate.

2. Ignore Marketing and Promotion

Avoiding marketing and promotion altogether is a common mistake that new e-commerce owners make, and it can especially hinder the growth and visibility of their business. With tons of noise and activity in the online world, actively promoting your brand and offers is highly crucial. Doing so will help you establish a strong online presence while reaching a wide consumer base.

Without marketing and promotion, your business may get lost in a sea of competitors. Therefore, ensuring your e-commerce store receives the attention it deserves is important.

Consider investing time and effort in developing a robust marketing strategy. Use social media, content marketing, email campaigns and influencer marketing to generate awareness and interest in your offers. 

Additionally, paying close attention to search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results is essential. In turn, this tactic will drive traffic to your store and increase the likelihood of converting visitors into loyal customers.

3. Underestimate the Power of Customer Reviews

Today’s online shoppers rely heavily on reviews and testimonials to make purchasing decisions. It is part of their decision-making process, as positive reviews instill trust and serve as social proof to show customers why they should choose your products over competitors. 

Take advantage of the power of customer reviews by encouraging satisfied customers to leave feedback. Provide incentives, such as discounts or exclusive offers to persuade them to share their experiences. 

If you get negative feedback, consider addressing these customers to show that you are listening and are committed to resolving their issues proactively. Valuing customer feedback can create a strong foundation of trust and credibility, which can take your e-commerce business to new heights.

Start Your E-Commerce Business on the Right Foot

After exploring these do’s and don’ts of starting an e-commerce business, it is evident that a strategic approach with diligent execution creates a path to success. Focus on the right way to start your online business while avoiding the pitfalls.

The journey of building a successful e-commerce business may be challenging. Yet, hard work and the right guidance will help you land better results.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

How Good UI Can Reduce Eye Fatigue

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

People who spend a lot of time on the computer can wind up with eye fatigue. However, designers have an opportunity to reduce visual strain with a few changes toward excellent user interface (UI). When the UI is better, the user experience (UX) naturally improves in many cases.

Can Eye Fatigue Be Reversed?

According to The Vision Council, around 60% of people who are online more than a few hours a day suffer some digital eye strain. Eye fatigue occurs from viewing harsh white backgrounds or difficult to read text. People also can develop poor habits, such as not glancing away from their screens every few seconds.

Eye fatigue usually lessens within a few hours of stopping use of digital displays. Long-term, people may want to turn to methods such as dark mode on their mobile devices and only spending so much time a day on the computer.

Designers can help people avoid eye fatigue in the first place by implementing these tips.

1. Choose Dark Backgrounds

While not always the case, a good rule of thumb is that darker backgrounds/designs create less eye strain than brilliant white or pale yellow backgrounds. Of course a lot has to do with the combination of text and background and how much contrast you choose.

To reduce eye fatigue look at some dark mode designs and how they look both on a desktop and on a smartphone. If you can’t stare at them more than a few seconds without your eyes hurting, the color ranges likely need more work.

2. Utilize Proper Lighting

Don’t forget design for things such as manufacturing systems. Engineers sometimes complain about the design of the computer screens on pieces of equipment. The designs can often create eye strain because they tend to be on a light background with tiny text.

Better lighting can help improve the situation and reduce eye fatigue. The best lighting for computer readouts on machinery as well as visual inspections of parts is steady and reliable so light changes are from the parts and not from anything else.

3. Use Larger Text

Tiny text is sometimes the reason for eye strain. Making the font slightly larger can have a huge impact on how readable the screen is. Larger text can also reduce the amount of white space on lighter backgrounds.

Bolder, darker, bigger text is much easier to read than tiny little letters you have to strain to see.

4. Create Responsive Pages

By 2025, mobile app revenue will hit $613 billion, with new apps appearing every month. To grab user attention in a crowded marketplace, you have to design an app that not only functions as expected but has an excellent design interface, right down to not causing eye strain.

Create responsive pages that adjust to different screen brightnesses and look as visually appealing on desktop as smaller screens.

5. Turn to Warm Colors

If the overall design doesn’t allow for a darker-mode theme, you can also use warmer colors to reduce some of the eye strain people experience. Studies show blue light is part of what messes with human circadian rhythm and creates vision issues. Warm colors use less blue light, so designing with a warm yellow or earth tones may help.

Of course, people can also set their phones or computer screens to filter out blue light or buy special glasses, but many don’t think of it or won’t bother. You can fix part of the issue with your designs.

Good UI Is About More Than Functionality

The user interface of any design is a complex beast. Not only should every link, button and action work the way the user expects, but the entire aesthetic must come together for a visually pleasing experience. Since eye fatigue is part of the visual process of visiting a site, making just a few changes in your design means helping users not experience the pain of harsh designs on their eyes.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

Why are AI images so strange?

Author: Gideon Harrington

If you look at this image long enough, it may make you take ‘paws’ when you notice it’s not quite right…

In this image of a kitty at the computer with giant glowing eyes, you might miss an odd detail that AI was not able to create to match reality, and it’s a common failing during this early phase of AI art. Did you see it yet? Well, if you look at the paw of this image, you can see that the number of digits for this feline are a bit off from the standard and aligned a bit strangely too. This is a very common issue with early AI art right now, extra fingers, extra toes, and extra legs too.

Why are Ai Image so strange? What’s the deal with the extra limbs, tails, fingers, and toes?

AI images can appear strange because they are generated by algorithms that are trained on large amounts of data, but may not always produce results that align with human expectations. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as limitations in the data used to train the algorithm, or the specific parameters and settings used during the generation process. Additionally, some AI image generation models, such as GANs, are designed to generate novel or unexpected results, rather than realistic ones, which can also contribute to the strange or surreal appearance of the generated images.