Web-design, like all other fields, involves following some rules and guidelines. In this field the rules are supposed to help to create a consistent and user-friendly experience for the visitors of your website. However, sometimes breaking these rules can be beneficial, if you have a good reason and a clear purpose. In this blog post, we will explore three areas where you can break the rules in web-design: color, writing, and marketing.
Color Rules
We wanna discuss colors, because it is a good material to work with, we can more easily highlight how rule-breaking is supposed to work. Color is one of the most powerful elements of web-design, as it can convey mood, emotion, and meaning. It can also influence the behavior and perception of your audience. For example, red can evoke feelings of aggression, excitement, or urgency, while blue can suggest calmness, trust, or professionalism. That is why there are some general color rules that web-designers follow, such as using complementary colors for contrast, avoiding too many colors on a page, or choosing colors that match the brand identity and the message of the website.
But for the most part, you ought to at least skirt the edges, if you want to stand out a bit. For example, you can use colors that are normally associated with different meanings or contexts, e.g., Red is usually considered aggressive, while it carries a different connotation when associated with a cross. Similar to colors at large, you can also manipulate their various components to create different effects, such as using saturation, brightness, or filters to change the mood or the tone of your website. Or you can experiment with unconventional color combinations that catch the eye.
However, when you break the color rules, you should always have a clear intention and a good understanding of how people perceive colors to work. Most people come in on your site with set expectations about which colors convey implicit tones. When you are messing with their expectations, you are in a way asking them to assent to a new pattern. That involves persuasion which would depend on whether the various elements on your website mesh well among themselves and the overall message of the website.
Writing Rules
Rule-breaking is its own genre basically in writing. We will not be able to tell you anything original or genuinely insightful in this regard. For that there are entire books written. But, notice that there are some writing rules that web-designers follow, such as using short sentences and paragraphs, using headings and subheadings to organize information, or using active voice and action verbs to engage the reader.
But sometimes, breaking these writing rules can be beneficial, if you want to try out new styles or techniques that suit your purpose and audience. For example, you can use longer sentences or paragraphs to create a narrative or a story that draws the reader in. You can also write stream of consciousness sentences when putting an emphasis on some process. Or you can use different tones or voices to express your personality or your brand identity.
You should obviously make sure that your writing is still clear, relevant, and easy to understand for your audience. And you should always keep in mind the main point and the call to action of your website, and make sure your writing supports it.
Marketing Rules
Marketing rules are more shady than the previous two. They generally rely on whatever it takes to get the user to click on a given link.
So, breaking some norms here is almost always advantageous. More honesty, transparency and straightforwardness go a long way. Plus if you do not take yourself too seriously, the more serious people are actually more willing to lend you an ear.
Plus, differentiation becomes attainable when brands shatter the mold, capturing attention with unconventional approaches that set them apart from the competition. Which entails embracing unique messaging and disruptive campaigns that challenge the status quo. Of course it is easy to go astray here, which is why your focus should be the values we mentioned above and not originality. In fact, trying to be overly unique and quirky is what makes brands stand out in the worst way.
Also, there are certain segments that will completely ignore and even frown at any standard marketing practices. In order to reach them you are going to have to contextually analyze your posts with constant references to their interests and expectations.
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