Who said the visual part doesn’t matter?

There is a lot of debate on whether it is important to spend as much time on design as on the actual functionality of a website. If you’re one of those people that could care less about design as long as your site works, listen up. It’s been scientifically proven that when stimulated with something beautiful your brain releases Dopamine, this is that chemical rush you feel that makes you want the beautiful piece of art or awesome looking product.

Below is a a beat up old mustang, contrast that with the Mustang on the right. The one on the left could have a brand new V8 engine and run like a champ but the car I'm going to rely on getting me home is the car on the right. I wouldn't trust the car on the left to get me down a city block at first glance.

So how do you create trust when a user visits your website? You have to pay attention to the visual design, for one. Design is all about the details; your site design implies that the same care and attention has been spent on your products or services. If your website compares to the beat up mustang on the left, even with that brand new V8 that functions flawlessly, what kind of message does that send to your visitors about your products or services? The website I want is the one that has the V8 but also looks sleek and professional. That will imply trustworthiness in your products and services from the minute a user finds your site.

In the book "Emotional Design" Donald Norman talks about how researchers in Japan conducted a test on two ATMs. They were identical in function, number of buttons, and how they functioned mechanically. The only difference was that one machine’s buttons and screens were arranged more attractively than the other. In both Japan and Israel, where this test was repeated, researchers observed that subjects encountered fewer problems with the better looking machine. The better looking machine actually "worked" better.

I've also seen many great web designs get butchered by the client or by having to many chiefs and not enough Indians. Things such as colors that do not complement each other, inconsistent fonts, and one of my biggest pet peeves is not using great looking photography on a site (stock photography is a must). Nothing can kill a great website faster than throwing up some grainy pictures taken in a under lit room. Again think about how these elements will affect the visitor’s perception of your product or service.

So think twice before skipping over the visual design of your website, it could cause your visitors to hit the back button and run to the competitors more attractive site.