Beautiful Automotive Website Design

Of course, those working for a dealership will all want the website to look great. It presents an outward image of professionalism and success. Aside from this, there are several reasons why a good-looking website plays an important role in a dealership's broader marketing activities. Here are a few:

Creating a Good First Impression

Like meeting someone for the first time, a customer's first interaction with your dealership could be through your website. Your website is often where marketing campaigns initially drive traffic, especially digital marketing campaigns. So the website's appearance becomes critical because you want the customer's first impression of your dealership to be good.

Standing Out From The Crowd

Automotive retail is a competitive sector. Dealerships want to stand out against the competition and be remembered. If the website looks different in a good way vs the competition, then it sets a good foundation for sales.

Assist Other Website Functions

If a website is good-looking, this might help other website optimisations like user experience or even the ability to generate leads. Visual design is a great tool for evoking different emotions in the consumer.

Many explanations exist that try to define beauty. Still, as we are talking specifically about websites, we should have four factors in mind:

Colours & Presentation

The combination of fonts, colours and shapes is the first thing that catches the user's attention. A well-designed website should have a balance of colours, typography, and images. Using complementary colours can make a website more attractive and help users navigate the website more easily. A good website design should also have a consistent colour scheme throughout the site to create a unified visual experience. The typography on the site should be easy to read and match the website's overall theme. The images should be of high quality and add value to the website's overall design.

Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is the arrangement of elements on a webpage in order of importance. The most important information should be placed at the top of the page, and the least important information at the bottom. This helps the user quickly find the information they are looking for. Visual hierarchy is also important when designing calls-to-action (particularly relevant for conversion rate optimisation). A well-designed call-to-action should be placed in a prominent position on the page and have a clear message.

White Space

White space is the empty space between elements on a webpage. It is an important element of website design because it helps to create a visual balance and prevent clutter. White space also helps to direct the user's attention to the most important elements on the page. A well-designed website should have a good balance of white space and content.

Design Principles Addressing These Factors

There are many principles and elements that can contribute to making a website look good. When you are considering whether or not a website objectively looks good, checking if the design has followed best practices for the following principles is a great method.

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to the design's ability to be used by all individuals, including those with disabilities. It is important to consider accessibility when designing websites or any other digital platform, such as a mobile app.

Alignment

Alignment refers to the placement of elements in a design. It is important to align elements in a way that creates a clear and organised visual hierarchy (as described above). Alignment helps to create a sense of order and makes the design easier to read and understand.

Authenticity

Authenticity refers to the genuine and honest representation of the brand or message being communicated. It is important to ensure that the design accurately reflects the intended message and values.

Balance

Balance is one of the most important principles of design. It refers to the distribution of elements within a design in a way that creates visual equilibrium. This distribution of elements is also called composition. There are two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical balance occurs when elements are evenly distributed on both sides of the design. In contrast, asymmetrical balance is achieved when elements are not evenly distributed but still create a sense of balance.

Colour

Colour is a powerful tool in graphic design. It can be used to create mood, convey meaning, and draw attention to important elements of the design. It is important to use colour in a way that is consistent with the brand or message of the design.

Contrast

Contrast is the difference between two elements in a design. It can be achieved through the use of colour, texture, size, or shape. Contrast helps to create visual interest and can draw the viewer's attention to important elements of the design.

Emphasis

Emphasis is the principle of design that draws attention to a particular element or area of a design. This can be achieved through the use of colour, contrast, size, placement, or typography. By emphasising certain elements, designers can create a hierarchy and guide the viewer's attention to the most important parts of the design.

Innovation

Innovation refers to the use of creative and unique design elements to stand out and differentiate from competitors. It is important to consider new and innovative design techniques to create a unique visual experience.

Movement

Movement refers to the use of visual elements to create a sense of motion or direction within a design. It can be achieved through the use of diagonal lines, curves, or other visual elements that create a sense of movement.

Proportion

Proportion refers to the size and scale of elements within a design. It is important to ensure that elements are proportionate to each other and to the overall design.

Repetition

Repetition is the use of the same element multiple times in a design. It can be used to create a sense of unity and continuity within a design. Repetition can also help to reinforce the visual hierarchy of the design.

Rhythm

Rhythm is the principle of design that creates movement and flow within a design. It can be achieved through the use of repetition, pattern, or alternation of elements. Rhythm can create a sense of harmony and continuity within a design and make it more visually interesting.

Scale

Scale refers to the size of elements in a design relative to each other and to the overall design. It can be used to create visual interest and emphasise important elements.

Style Consistency

Style refers to the overall aesthetic or visual language of a design. It is important to establish a consistent style to create a cohesive and memorable visual experience.

Typography

Typography refers to the use of fonts and typefaces in a design. It is important to use typography in a way that is legible and consistent with the overall design. The choice of font and typeface can also convey meaning and create a certain mood or tone.

Unity

Unity refers to the harmony and coherence of a design. It is important to ensure that all elements of a design work together to create a unified and cohesive visual experience.

Neuroaesthetics

Neuroaesthetics is a field of study that combines neuroscience and aesthetics to understand how the brain processes and responds to aesthetic experiences. It seeks to uncover the neural processes that underlie our perception, evaluation, and appreciation of art, beauty, and aesthetics. For web designers, it provides a framework to create visually engaging and effective web designs by understanding the underlying neural processes that influence our perception and evaluation of aesthetics.

Neuroaesthetics suggests that several factors contribute to making a website visually appealing, and of course, these vary by the audience because of factors like local culture.

Here are some key ways that a website design could be perceived as more beautiful by being more easily processed by our brains:

Simplicity and Clarity

Minimalistic designs with a clear and simple layout tend to be more visually appealing. This is because they reduce visual clutter and help the user focus on the most important information.

Visual Balance

A balanced composition that distributes visual elements evenly across the page creates a sense of harmony and order, making the website more visually pleasing.

Symmetry is often associated with balance, harmony, and order, which can create a sense of stability and calmness. Symmetrical designs tend to be perceived as more formal and traditional. For example, in web design, symmetrical layouts are often used for corporate or professional websites.

Asymmetry, on the other hand, can create a sense of dynamic tension and movement, which can be visually interesting and engaging. Asymmetrical designs tend to be perceived as more informal and modern. In web design, asymmetrical layouts are often used for creative or artistic websites.

However, there is some evidence to suggest that there is a universal preference for symmetry across cultures, particularly when it comes to facial features. Studies have shown that people tend to find faces that are more symmetrical more attractive, which may be due to the brain's preference for processing information that is more organised and easier to process.

A Harmonious Colour Scheme

Colours can have a significant impact on the user's emotional response to a website. Harmonious colour combinations that evoke positive emotions and complement the website's content can make the website more attractive.

A Clear Visual Hierarchy

As explained previously, the use of visual hierarchy can help guide the user's attention to the most important information on the website. This can be achieved through the use of size, contrast, and colour to create a clear and distinct hierarchy of information.

The Use of Colours

We have mentioned colours quite a bit so far, so it's worth going into a bit more detail on their use. Firstly it is extremely important that you use the right colour combinations. Some colours just clash and lay to waste what has been discussed so far in this article. There are many tools that can help you to build a suitable colour palette.

Colour psychology is the study of how different colours can affect human emotions, behaviour, and mood. It is commonly used in design to create certain moods or feelings in the people who interact with the design. Here are some common associations with colours in design:

Red

• Often associated with passion, love, excitement, and energy.
• Can be used to create a sense of urgency or to grab attention.
• Example Use: Sports Equipment

Blue

• Associated with calmness, trust, and reliability.
• Often used in corporate designs to create a sense of professionalism and stability.
• Example Use: Accounting Services

Green

• Associated with nature, growth, and health.
• Can create a sense of balance and harmony
• Example Use: Electric Cars

Yellow

• Associated with happiness, optimism, and warmth.
• Often used to grab attention and create a sense of friendliness.
• Example Use: Travel Agency

Orange

• Associated with energy, enthusiasm, and creativity.
• Can be used to create a sense of playfulness and excitement.
• Example Use: Creative Design Agency

Purple

• Associated with royalty, luxury, and creativity.
• Can create a sense of elegance and sophistication.
• Example Use: Luxury Products

Black

• Associated with power, elegance, and mystery.
• Often used in high-end designs to create a sense of luxury.
• Example Use: Luxury Products

White

• Associated with purity, simplicity, and cleanliness.
• Often used in minimalistic designs to create a sense of calmness and clarity.
• Example Use: Minimalist Furniture

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many considerations to take into account when determining the quality of a website, but when looking at visual appeal in isolation, there are some best practices that can be used as a benchmark.

Making the website logical in its form - with consistent colours, balance, and a logical hierarchy will increase its consistency with the way users process the information, which will likely improve its visual appeal. We've covered a number of ways of doing this using colours, whitespace, images, text, and other media have been covered in the article. Dealerships also want their brand to be well represented and so innovative design becomes an important consideration, but it needs to be done in the context of what will look good in the eyes of customers.