“We want a website that looks like Apple’s”. That is a sentence we frequently hear from clients as a Melbourne web designer. It frequently comes up during strategy meetings, sales presentations, and client input on style tiles and wireframes.
We understand because we also adore Apple’s website layout! But in latter conversation, we work to clarify precisely why a customer like Apple’s website. It’s usually one of these five things:
Simple Design
One typical issue that many organisations face is trying to pack too much content into too little of a space. Multiple paragraphs, images, videos, customer reviews, product data, and other content might all be found on one webpage.
A website seems chaotic and out of date when there is too much stuff on the screen. Because web designs favour scrolling down a page rather than navigating across several pages, page sizes tend to be greater. A simple website layout, however, might make a lot of material appear more manageable.
Apple does this by utilising negative space and white backgrounds. There aren’t many words displayed on your screen at once. Additionally, the website’s straightforward colour schemes, fonts, and visuals give it a clean, orderly appearance.
Apple’s homepage contains a giant slider with new items and four smaller sections with events, promotions, and secondary products. Aside from that, the page contains just a simple top navigation bar and a footer. Even product pages with extensive technical specs, software, and hardware information are kept straightforward. The product page is designed to display just one product highlight at a time, regardless of the device you use to view it.
Apple maintains a straightforward site design by avoiding overburdening consumers with information. While there are occasions when a more complicated, content-heavy layout is appropriate, if Apple served as your website’s design influence, you undoubtedly value simplicity.
Clear Navigation
Apple has created a clear hierarchy of information on their website despite the variety of their goods and services. There are just seven category options and three distinct symbols on the top navigation bar. What’s more shocking is the lack of any drop-down submenus in Apple’s top navigation. Users know exactly where they can go when navigating. The user experience can be made more difficult by complicated menus, which can also increase bounce rates and client churn.
The top navigation bar is followed by a submenu on each of their seven main landing pages. The goods and services that fall under that category are shown in this submenu, which functions as a slider. This secondary navigation bar functions well since it also has a simple design.
Apple makes sure users can discover what they’re seeking for fast and simply by including a well-defined and ordered navigation system into their website. Any website that places a high priority on user experience must have a clear hierarchy of information and simple navigation. A excellent example of how to navigate clearly is Apple.
Modern Style
The design of websites and brands may be categorised from traditional to modern. Although neither side is superior (there are many powerful, successful businesses with websites that are quite conventional in appearance), if you’re going for a website that looks like Apple’s, you probably want it to have a modern vibe.
Apple uses muted hues to create a sleek appearance and feel. The site’s primary colours are white, black, and grey, with flashes of colour used to draw attention to particular aspects on a page. Additionally, Apple uses a crisp, sans-serif typeface all across the website. On the website, there is a lot of negative space; at any one time, the majority of the screen is a white background.
A website in a modern design works for Apple since it is a modern brand that produces revolutionary technological items and strives to revolutionise the market. If your brand is comparable to that, a modern design aesthetic can also be appropriate for you.
Brand and Design Continuity
Any website needs to be consistent. Each page’s purpose becomes less obvious on a website if it uses various fonts and colours. It is also difficult to project a brand image when there is inconsistency. A comprehensive digital style guide and well defined administrative tasks are necessary for maintaining a website with a lot of information.
High Quality Images
What a good photo can accomplish is incredible. Although there aren’t a lot of photographs on Apple’s website, every single one is of the finest quality. A website’s stunning layout, easy navigation, and contemporary design can all be utterly overshadowed by outdated or low-resolution photography.
The best choice is to use high-quality photographs that you own. The most realistic representations of your company and the ones that may build trust with your consumers are those that highlight your company, its goods, and its people. If you can’t do that, there are several websites where you may acquire high-quality stock photos that are appropriate for your website and business. Steer clear of tacky, staged stock photographs since they appear antiquated.
Apple’s website contains photography of its goods, frequently in settings where users are actively using them. Although presenting your items in “real world” settings helps clients see them in use, product photography is still crucial.
The Lesson: Be Yourself
While it’s OK to draw inspiration from Apple’s website, each company has its own distinct strategy, audience, and vision that should direct website redesign efforts. The most effective websites are those that are created to satisfy both the needs of your consumers and the unique requirements of your firm.