Key Front-End Development Design Principles for Your Website

What makes a website stand out? Sometimes it’s eye-catching animations, a pleasant color scheme, a neat arrangement of menus, or any number of other elements.

Making memorable, engaging web pages and web applications is a top priority of front-end web developers. These developers strive to create polished and satisfying experiences for visitors to their websites. Front-end devs accomplish this by applying their skills in coding, design, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX).

How can you do the same?

This article discusses the most important front-end design principles and how they can help you build accessible websites that resonate with users. Read on to learn about these principles in detail and why they matter.

Leverage Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design refers to website layout and structure that remains consistent across all types of platforms and screen sizes, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Front-end developers should be mindful of user experience at every visual level, including screen size and resolution. This means writing Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) with flexibility and adaptability. HTML is the basic scripting language that makes up the skeleton of a web page.

By carefully manipulating the code behind HTML, front-end devs can optimize where text, margins, images, and other elements go and how they fit on the page. Most devs practice “mobile-first design,” which means they build for smartphone-sized interfaces first and then adjust layout size for larger screens. Keen developers also consider UX as it relates to touch-based, mouse-based, and key-based interaction with websites, not discounting the importance of each.

Adhere to Accessibility Guidelines

Not every user has the same type of experience as they browse the web. For example, some may have problems with hand-eye coordination or vision. Others may simply prefer one specific way to use the internet. Creating a website involves more than merely making it clear or convenient to use. It’s also about ensuring that all kinds of users can engage with and understand what they see.

Website visitors with physical impairments might rely on hardware or software support to navigate through each page. Front-end devs should consider this as they implement sensible color contrasts, alternative text for images, and programming to allow for assistive technology. Practicing user empathy and focusing on website usability are key pillars of web accessibility.

Measure and Optimize Page Performance

Great websites not only look appealing and inviting—they run well, too. Optimal web development processes involve allocating enough time and resources toward page function, not just form. The coding and design involved in building a website directly impact its performance, which, in turn, affects user experience. Poor performance may lead to issues like less user engagement, higher bounce rates, and fewer sales in the case of e-commerce.

Front-end developers should find ways to optimize performance, even if it means coordinating and strategizing with other devs working on the back end. A few common methods to maintain or increase web page performance include the following:

• Caching. Caching means storing data files in a temporary location so that developers can quickly retrieve them as needed. This process helps to speed up load times independently of network conditions.
• Bundling. Each time users interact with web page elements—like opening a drop-down menu or entering a password—the browser requests specific files, or portions of HTML code. Bundling collects this data into one big file, reducing the number of requests and improving overall performance.
• Tree-shaking. When writing in JavaScript, developers can “prune” outdated portions of code to make room for better, more fruitful code. This may also involve stripping away unused, unneeded functions of programming libraries to streamline website performance.

Write Adaptable Code

Front-end devs can manipulate website elements thanks to their fluency in programming languages like HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. These coding languages tell web browsers what to include on the page and how it’s organized. Developers should write code that’s clear and consistent to avoid syntactical errors. But there’s more to coding than clarity or strong syntax.

Since trends in front-end web design come and go rapidly, the underlying code needs to be flexible to change. Adaptable code allows for convenient editing, debugging, and testing, which are all important aspects of successful website maintenance. If their web page code is too rigid, developers will have difficulty keeping a website polished and up to date. Techniques like refactoring and modularization help perpetuate high-quality, adaptable code.

Other Front-End Development Tips

In addition to applying the principles listed above, keep in mind these tips for front-end development:

• Follow industry best practices. This can help you maintain a website and nurture scalability over time.
• Seek improvement. Continue to learn beyond the fundamentals—attend a coding bootcamp or participate in a web design workshop to keep your skills sharp, for example.
• Archive resources. Keep a collection of the programming libraries and frameworks that you can draw from. Doing so could save time and remove pressure while developing.
• Know your role. Be aware of when and where your role as a front-end dev ends—let back-end devs handle the website server and database tasks.

How to Become a Front-End Developer

To prepare for a role as a front-end developer, consider the following steps:

• Pursue higher education. Earn a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field like software engineering or computer science. Programs in these areas can teach you essential web programming, scripting, and design principles.
  
• Gain experience. For example, you might apply for an entry-level—or higher—web development job. This will help you understand which day-to-day skills you’ll need to practice most.
• Get certified. Look to industry certifications to attain deeper knowledge of web development and to strengthen your aptitude for hire. Common certifications include Java Development Certified Professional and Responsive Web Design Certification.

What Next?

As you work toward a dynamic and lucrative career in front-end web development, consider WGU for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or certification that can set you apart from the competition. WGU offers accredited, online programs in IT that let you study at your own pace, with no set log-in times for coursework.

Our competency-based learning model also allows you to progress through courses as quickly as you prove mastery of the material, potentially saving time and money.

Ready to get started? Check out WGU’s industry-recognized certificate in front-end development that grants specialized skills in front-end design and coding.