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With multiple changes in trends and user preferences, organizations are constantly revamping their websites with a better UX strategy. However, it is not an easy task considering the majority of organizations use agile methodologies.

It is a prominent argument that UX strategy doesn’t go hand in hand with agile methodology. Also to pull it off, it is important to understand what a UX strategy and agile development are in essence, their associated problems, the importance of incorporation, and key points to make them compatible.

Therefore without any delay, let’s try to sort out this problem for app design companies.

What is a UX Strategy?

For applications today, it is important to be user-centric. A UX or user experience is the overall experience a user feels while using a service or product created by an organization. With a UX strategy, the idea is to create an overall improved user experience that creates more engagement, user retention, and is easy to use.

To further extrapolate, it is a systematic process of further enhancing the user experience for an application or a service.

There are primarily three components of a UX strategy. These are

• Intention behind the strategy
• Requirements, goals, and ROIs
• Associated plan

Implications of not having a UX Strategy!

Failing to have a UX strategy for the development process can lead to the following problems:

• It can affect the profitability of the organization
• It means that the organization doesn’t have a better understanding of its user base.
• The organization will lack a long-term competitive advantage.
• The organization can suffer in terms of retention and engagement.

What is an Agile Website Development?

There are prominently seven types of SDLCs (Software Development Life Cycles). Agile development is amongst the most popular ones used today. 

Due to consistent requirements for feature changes and software requirements in the existing projects, the requirement of agile development came into existence.

It takes the help of cross-functional teams for continuous development and aggregation of new code modules. 

Agile development is based on the following factors:

• Proper control of tools and resources.
• Collaboration should be based on customer requirements.
• Active response to incident change instead of a firm plan.

It comprises four factors primarily which are:

• Discover
• Design
• Develop
• Test

The overall idea behind the agile development process is the continuous integration of elements with ease.

Problem Associated with the Implementation of Agile Methodology along with a UX Strategy!

The problem associated with agile development is that it is a very developer-centric approach. The moment a particular requirement is fulfilled from the backend side, the team moves to another task. However, the realm of designing is very subjective and can often take a lot more time & resources than expected. It is because different perception leads to different perspectives.

This particular problem creates a lot of confusion for app designing companies and increases the toll on them in terms of workload. Another major problem is the higher adoption of agile methodologies for website development. It is considering the flexible nature of the implementation methodology. Therefore, a lot of organizations try to figure out ways to handle UX strategy along with the agile methodology effectively.

Importance of including a UX Strategy and Agile Website Development

While agile methodology predominantly focuses on the backend side of things, majorly the factors that distinguish the two websites are the UI/UX part. Design is a much more important aspect than a lot of people might think it would be.

It is because primarily the user requires an excellent design and navigable elements to interact with the backend services. Therefore without a great UX strategy creating a sustainable experience is not possible. Also with the inclusion of agile methodology, the task of finding a way to make the UX strategy work with agile development becomes much more important.

How to incorporate UX Strategy with Agile Website Development?

Incorporating a UX Strategy into agile website development is a complicated process. However, nothing is impossible and this can also be pulled off.

To make that happen, below are the key points:

• Focus on Customer Satisfaction: Call it clients or customers, the major reason behind a methodology such as agile is to gratify customers. For instance, there are multiple applications today that incorporate a new element every week. However, the teams make sure that the design elements meet the overall theme of the project, otherwise, it is not released.
• Support for UX Strategists: The feedback received by the designing teams can often be subjective and open to interpretation. For instance, sometimes the responses to a particular design can be like “It’s Good Enough”, “It’s Fine”, “Looks Decent”, etc. Also, another variable is that the process doesn’t always run parallel to the backend process. Therefore, the intention behind the support should be to help minimize the pending backlog instead of dragging it along the way. A clear explanation of what is expected and some freedom for the UX strategist can create wonders.
• Consistency: Maintain consistency with the overall design elements. Make sure that the design elements hit a particular benchmark and below that the design itself should be unacceptable to the designer itself.
• Focus on Use Case or Workflow: Each & every workflow and use case is unique and it can vary from organization to organization. It is because each organization follows its own unique process based on its values, goals, and vision. It often creates a contrast and makes every design element unique for each organization. The idea is to learn about the workflow and create a UX experience that is easily navigable by the user.
• Leave room for improvement: The overall agile methodology adopted by the organization should always leave room for improvements on the way. A tightly packed process doesn’t leave any extra time for incoming issues. This creates a collision of deadlines and further confusion with the process.
• Engage with every service: Most services that are created by the team are treated as MVPs. For instance, if the team is done with a service then they won’t consider further updation of the process for enhancement. Keeping some room for this process too would help in overall integrating the UX strategy.

Wrapping Up!

The capability to pull off a great UX strategy with agile methodology is truly a boon for multiple app design companies. It is one of the major impediment that people on the design team faces. By focusing on the key points mentioned above, any organization can create a great user-centric website. Yet implementing these points would require an organization-wide transition from their routine work to these strategies. Therefore, it is not just the factors but the effectiveness of the way they are integrated that truly matters.

The post A Practical Guide to UX Strategy and Agile Website Development appeared first on noupe.

Reduced color perception or the capacity to distinguish between colors are symptoms of color blindness. Color blindness affects 1 in 200 women and 1 in every 12 men. Do digital resources like websites and educational materials affect color blindness? 

Absolutely! Consider accessibility best practices when creating online documents to ensure that your website or online products are accessible to all visitors.

Color blindness explained

A widespread myth is that color-blind people can only see the world in black and white, a different condition termed monochromacy. In actuality, color blindness affects everyone differently, ranging from being unable to distinguish between two or three colors to having trouble with certain tints.

This X-chromosome mutation caused this neurological anomaly. Women are less likely to inherit the illness because they have two X-chromosomes, one of which serves as a backup to offset probable problems. The disorder normally shows itself in one of three ways.

Red/green color blindness is the most prevalent type, when victims confuse all colors that contain either red or green as a component of the entire hue. Those with Protan color blindness are less sensitive to red light, whereas Deuteranopia patients are less sensitive to green light. 

For instance, a protanope will mistake blue for purple because they are unable to distinguish the red component of the color purple. Tritanopia, the third type of color blindness, is the least prevalent and affects those who have trouble telling whether a light is blue or yellow.

Importance of Color in Presenting Data

The use of color is crucial for data visualization. To begin with, colors are used to draw attention to significant information and to show connections between different sorts of data. Furthermore, it is important in directing the viewer’s eye to color.

Though understanding color theory and design composition is crucial, there are other factors to take into account when optimizing for accessibility.

Designing for Inclusion

What happens when a design is interpreted differently than it was intended? If your workplace is still not using an inclusive design approach, there is a good possibility that this is already taking place.

Keep in mind that we don’t want you to work twice as hard on your designs—quite the opposite. Instead of developing specifically for this group, the objective is to take their needs into account when creating a product that is accessible to all.

This approach should be used when creating additional visuals, such as flow charts, mind maps and graphs, all of which frequently rely on color to convey distinct information, rather than only when developing website layouts.

You can rely on online tools such as an infographic maker or an infographic template library to create inclusive visuals.

The Guide to creating an inclusive design

1. Create a color palette in advance.

Utilizing accessible colors and a colorblind-friendly palette doesn’t need you to sacrifice aesthetics or completely exclude color from your charts. By doing your research in advance, you can make sure that a color blind-friendly palette enhances rather than detracts from your design.

There are a variety of 8- and 15-color palettes available if you’re starting from scratch. You can see some of the best contrasting colors for colorblind persons in these palettes.

2. Choose the color scheme.

Consider all the different ways contrast may be used in your designs to increase color-blind accessibility. Employ vivid hues rather than subdued alternatives. 

Use colors that are as dissimilar from one another as you can when you need to employ two colors next to one another. Also, you must examine how to optimize contrast among dynamic elements while thinking about color blindness and online design. 

Which hues are used for buttons and hyperlinks? And what happens to these colors when a site visitor moves their mouse over the element? In these circumstances, you might need to draw attention to the element by surrounding it with color.

3. Employ textures and patterns.

A fantastic technique to include visual aspects in your design that don’t rely on color is to use patterns and textures. For instance, color-blind users could find it challenging to understand graphs and charts. In this instance, it’s preferable to employ contrasting patterns and, whenever it’s practical, to use text in its place.

Those who are colorblind might not trust colors as much as those with normal vision. They frequently perceive colors differently from how others do, hence they frequently rely on non-color cues to confirm hues or decipher meanings.

4. Keep contrasting colors to a minimum.

The use of problematic color combinations, some of which can render your charts or infographics totally inaccessible to color-blind individuals, is another reason why you should think out your color strategy in advance.

Avoid the following color combinations to protect people with color blindness:

• Green and red: The red-green kind of color blindness is the most prevalent. Protanopiacs are unable to see any “red” light, while deuteranopiacs are incapable of seeing “green” light because they lack green cones.
• Brown and green: For people who have red-green colorblindness, the light brown can resemble the green color and the dark green might be perceived as brown. Hence, colorblind individuals are unable to tell the two hues differently.
• Blue and green: When it comes to the red-green variety, light green appears as yellow and dark green as brown. Turquoise or blue-green is seen as gray.
• Gray and blue: A person who is red-green colorblind might not be able to distinguish the green hue of turquoise and instead see it as gray. 
• Purple and blue: Those who suffer from protanopia cannot see the color purple; instead, they perceive it as a deep blue.
• Gray and green: It is best to avoid this color combination depending on the hue of the blue and gray.
• Black and green: Protanopes are more likely to mistake various colors of red for black.

5. Create a monochrome chart.

Consider making your chart monochromatic because color blindness has no effect on the capacity to discern between various shades. Naturally, using a limited color palette will result in less opportunities to apply unfavorable color combinations.

6. Keep your design simple and straightforward.

Your infographics should be as straightforward and organized as feasible when creating for accessibility. Whether or not your audience is color blind, taking a minimalistic approach will assist make your presentations easier to understand.

Featured Image by Denise Chan on Unsplash

The post A Quick Guide to Color Blind Design: How to Present Data to Everyone appeared first on noupe.

An eye-catching and beautiful website is more likely to entice web visitors to stick around, find out about your products and services, and, most importantly, encourage them to convert. If you manage a Squarespace site, you might be wondering how you can enhance your images, add vivid fonts, and improve your overall web design to boost your traffic.

We’ve put together a list of ten simple tweaks you can use to optimize your website, including some stunning Squarespace animations that will make your pages really pop!

1. Add a button

If you want to encourage web users to sign up for your newsletter, buy a product, or send you an email, a big bright call-to-action button is the perfect way to do this.

You can create an easy button on Squarespace by adding a button block. Move to the section you want to add your button to, click the blue + icon and choose Button. Here you can add your text and select the page you want your button to take your web users to.

You can style the buttons on your website by going to the home menu, choosing Design and clicking Buttons.

Don’t forget to keep your button text short and sweet to encourage conversions – 25 characters or less!

2. Implement an accordion block

An accordion block is ideal if you have a lot of content but would like to keep your page short and scrollable. For example, if you want to include a lengthy FAQ on a page for search engine optimization purposes.

To add this feature go to the page you want to add the accordion block to and click the blue + sign. Choose Accordion from the menu to add your block to your page. Next, click the pencil icon and go to the Content tab to add and edit individual parts of the accordion.

If you want to style the accordion, click on the Design tab where you can change the background color, how the expand icon looks, and the divider style.

3. Animate your background photos

You don’t have to settle for a dull and boring static background image with Squarespace. With seven background animations on offer, you can make your background stand out and entice your web visitors to scroll!

Click the pencil icon on the image you want to tweak, go to Background, and Image effects. Choose the animation you want to implement, and you’re good to go.

If you’re using a Brine template, you can enable parallax scrolling on your pages – this makes your background image move more slowly than the content in the foreground for a cool effect! Go to the Site styles panel (the paintbrush at the top right-hand side of the page), scroll down to the Main: overlay section, and check Enable Parallax.

5. Get social with social media icons

Social media is essential for building engagement and finding new customers. If you have social media profiles, you can promote them anywhere on your Squarespace website in just a few clicks.

If you want to add your icons to a page, click the blue + icon, choose Social Links and add your links in. Looking to add social media icons to your header? Hover over it and click Edit site header. Then, click Elements, toggle Social Links and add them in.

6. Introduce some background art

Not got a photo to use as a background image? No problem! You can create some cool animated background art to make your website more engaging.

Click the pencil icon and go to Background. You’ll find six different background effects to try. You can change the color by going to the Colors menu. Why not mix and match animations and colors until you find a combination you love?

7. Add a dropdown menu

Usability is essential for your website – you want your visitors to find the information they need as quickly and easily as possible. A dropdown menu is excellent for displaying your pages in a user-friendly way.

Click Pages, then click the + icon. Then select Folder. Give your new folder a name and drag your existing pages into the folder to build your dropdown menu. You can drag and drop your pages so they appear in the precise order you want.

8. Change the fonts

When you select a specific Squarespace theme, it will come with pre-designated fonts. The good news is that you can change these fonts to suit your own personal branding requirements.

When you’re editing a page, click the Site styles icon at the top right-hand side of the page, which looks like a paintbrush. Choose Fonts, and you can choose a new font pack to replace your existing fonts. The bonus is that this font pack is applied to the whole of your website, so you don’t have to painstakingly change the font on individual pages.

9. Enable comments

If you have a blog, enabling comments is a fantastic way to engage with readers and build a strong sense of community around your site. Squarespace has built-in commenting functionality which means you can keep track of comments and likes, while quickly blocking spammy messages.

To enable comments, go to the home menu and click Blogging. Click Comment settings and select Enable Comments Globally. If you want to toggle comments off and on for a particular post, go to the blog post, open the Post Editor and choose Comments on or Comments off.

10. Make your header transparent

If you want to make your Squarespace website feel more modern and streamlined, you can make your navigation bar transparent. This blends your header in with the colors and imagery already used on your page.

Click Edit site header, go to Style and choose Dynamic from the dropdown menu.

And there you have it! Ten simple code-free changes you can make directly in Squarespace. Why not give them a try today?

Featured Image by Ewan Robertson on Unsplash

The post 10 Super Useful Tweaks for Squarespace Websites appeared first on noupe.

Are you looking to build a website for your law firm, or do you want to optimize the law firm website that you already have? Anyhow, this article will be your guide!

Continue reading to learn the fundamentals of designing an effective law firm website.

How does website design help your business to grow?

Many legal professionals find creating a website outside their field of expertise. Hence, this can be a daunting experience for them. But to continue growing, your law firm needs to have a website in today’s age.

With personal referrals, it is essential to remember that potential clients will likely look up recommendations online. And your firm’s online marketing efforts are even more critical for those who turn directly to the web when facing a legal problem because they don’t have someone to ask for a recommendation.

Marketing your law firm website

There is ample opportunity for growing your practice by law firm content marketing. However, selling online also requires a significant level of responsibility for attorneys.

The first step in marketing your law firm is to make a marketing plan by developing your firm’s mission, vision, and value statement. Learning and applying these marketing strategies and regulations is essential in law firm marketing.

Website development and design basics

After deciding to invest in your website’s design, a good next step is:

1.  How to set up your website?
2. Which website will work best for your firm’s needs?
3. How do you want it to look?

Factors to consider for hiring a law firm website designer

If you hire a professional website designer, ensure you get what you are looking for at the best price. Apart from price estimates, the following are some questions to consider when hiring a web developer for your law firm website:

• How long will the website take?
• Can you update content on your own?
• Will you be available for any software or security update in the future? 
• How will your website be optimized for search engines?
• Who will be the owner of the domain and hosting accounts?

However, some of these questions are up-front to answer. But factors like cost and time need a little bit of discussion. And find someone matching your budget, knowledge level, and time availability.

How to make your website accessible?

Following are There are technical ways to make your website accessible.

• You can use many tools to evaluate the accessibility of website design for law firms. 
• An excellent place to start is to turn off the styling for your website. 
• It will leave mainly text behind, so you’ll quickly see whether or not you’ve arranged the information on your site correctly.

Website design

A website design should be easy, as a website is fundamental to your firm’s marketing strategy. Often, it is the first interaction for your prospective clients that they will have with your brand! It will not only help your website to generate leads, but it will also set you apart from the competition. 

Best law firm website tips and best practices

So, are you ready to build your law firm website? If you want to create an excellent law firm website, 

1. Put your website and visitors first

While your law firm’s website is a marketing tool for your practice, it’s essential to remember that the most successful websites focus on meeting what clients are looking for rather than only marketing to clients.

2. Consider the essential pages

Your website needs to have essential sections or pages that should be present in your law firm website:

About page

On the about page, you will discuss which areas of law you’re passionate about, what you want to bring about, and why! Start by writing as if you are introducing yourself to a client face-to-face. It will make your website more friendly and personable.

Contact page

Another essential page that Your website must have is a contact page, which will be perfect if it complements a form.

You can further widen the horizon by providing a list of your contact information. Ideally, your contact page should have the following:

• Address
• Email address
• Contact number
• Social media platforms link

Blogs

Blogs are used to talk and discuss what you know best. It will discuss the law relating to the individual’s regular issues. It’ll help engage your future clients instead of just a block of legal jargon. 

Testimonials

If happy clients willingly let you quote on your site, do it! If you want compelling testimonials, it’s best to be specific. Ask clients to be precise with what they liked about your service. The testimonial will sound more legitimate. Your audience will better understand your past successes and why you’re better than the competition.

Fees

What do you charge? Do you charge per hour or a flat fee? How flexible? Unless your jurisdiction requires it, you can put an exact number down. It will help you give your clients a rough idea of what they expect to pay.

Conclusion

This guide has highlighted and discussed how to market your website design using the tips and tricks mentioned above. Doing so can make the perfect website for your firm to help you grow your business! In a nutshell, this is a complete guide to building a website design for law firms.

Featured Image by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

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Creating a company website is crucial for building a strong online presence and attracting potential customers. It’s usually the first point of contact for most people and it’s essential to make a good first impression. 

A well-designed website would showcase your products or services and also help to build trust and credibility with your target audience.

However, creating a website that looks professional and visually appealing can be a challenge, especially for small businesses and start-ups that struggle to meet their needs and budget. 

Whether you’re a small business owner, a start-up, or a freelancer, this guide will help you create a website that looks great and effectively represents your brand online.

Choosing a Platform

When it comes to creating a website, there are a variety of platforms to choose from, and the platform of choice would depend on your exact needs and budget.

Some popular platforms include WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. Each platform has its set of pros and cons, with some being better suited for creating a website on a tight budget than others. 

WordPress for example is a free open-source platform that would be a good pick for creating a website on a tight budget. It offers thousands of free or paid templates and plugins that can be customized to meet your needs.

Squarespace on the other hand is a paid platform that offers a wide range of design templates but can be more expensive. It’s an alternative for less tech-savvy enthusiasts who also want an easy-to-use website builder. 

Wix is a user-friendly platform that offers a wide range of design options but is also more expensive. It’s a great option for those who want more design freedom, templates, and design elements.

Design

Design is an important element in creating an attractive website. An appealing website will attract visitors and would also keep them engaged. However, creating a visually appealing website on a tight budget can be challenging.

One of the ways to create a visually appealing website on a tight budget is to use a pre-made design template. Many website-building platforms offer a wide range of design templates that can be customized to meet your needs. 

Another way to create an attractive website on a tight budget is to use free images and graphics. Many sites offer free images and graphics that can be used on a website.

Marketing

Marketing a website is crucial for driving traffic and increasing visibility. However, traditional marketing methods such as print and television ads can be costly. There are many ways to market a website. 

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to promote a website, increase brand awareness and connect with potential customers. Creating profiles on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is free and can be used to promote a website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is also a cost-effective way to drive traffic to a website.

Optimizing a website for search engines can help it rank higher in search engine results, making it more visible to potential customers. There are many free tools and resources available that can help with SEO.

Overall, marketing a website on a tight budget is possible with the right approach. By using social media and search engine optimization, businesses can increase visibility and drive traffic to their website without breaking the bank.

Content

High-quality relevant content is essential for creating a great-looking website. However, creating high-quality content on a tight budget can be a challenge. 

One way to create quality content is to write the content yourself. If you’re not a strong writer, consider hiring a freelancer to write the content for you.

Another way would be to source content from other sites since many sites allow you to use their content on your website, as long as you credit the source.

Use Free Icons

Icons are a great way to add visual interest to a website and make it more user-friendly. However, purchasing icons can be costly. 

One way to use icons on a website without breaking the bank is to use free icons. Many sites offer free icons that can be used on a website, popular sites like icons8, Flaticon, and Freepik. 

When using free icons, make sure to check the license and follow the terms of use. A great way to use icons on your website is by using heart icons for example to indicate a favorite button or a love button.

Optimization

Optimizing a website is crucial for ensuring that it loads quickly and is easily found by search engines. However, optimizing a website on a tight budget can be a challenge. 

One way to optimize a website without breaking the bank would be to use free tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These tools can provide valuable insights into how visitors are interacting with your website and can help you identify areas that need improvement. 

Another way is to use compression and caching. Compressing images and using caching can help reduce the size of your website and make it load faster. 

Additionally, using a content delivery network (CDN) can also help to improve the load time of your website. Overall, there are many ways to optimize a website, and it’s important to find the best approach for your specific needs and budget.

Maintenance

Maintaining a website is crucial for ensuring that it runs smoothly and continues to meet the needs of the business. However, maintaining a website can be costly, especially if it requires regular updates, security measures, and bug fixes. 

There are many ways to maintain a website within a budget. One way is to use a Content Management System (CMS) that makes it easy to update and maintain a website without needing technical skills. 

Another way is to use a website hosting service that provides regular backups, security measures, and technical support. Additionally, businesses can also opt for a website maintenance plan from a third-party service provider.

Keeping a website up-to-date and secure is also important for maintaining its functionality and protecting against security threats. This can be done by regularly updating the website’s software and plugins, and implementing security measures such as SSL certificates and firewalls.

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