A web application is more about its functionality and less about its form, but there is no doubt that the design plays an important role in ensuring whether the application will be used optimally by the target user or will be ignored in place  of  a much better design. This is the reason why all reputed web development services are not only concerned about the applicability and features of the web application that they have developed but also its design and especially the design of its user interface.

Let’s take a look at three web application designing techniques that help application interfaces achieve their full potential.

On Demand Controls

Simplicity works best for interface design. One of the better ways of projecting simplicity is by making available options only if the user wants them. Interface designs make their presence felt if they make available the various interface elements only when demanded. When a user first sees the interface he/she is able to see only come controls, which makes their functionalities easier to grasp.  Once they have figure out the limited number of choices available, they can click on a particular choice to access the advanced functionality. This approach works because it helps users compartmentalize their information and take decision in a better manner.

Interface design that Make selected buttons inactive

Call it a feature of design or something else but the point is that by disabling pressed buttons makes things extremely easy for users. The reason why this needs to be done is that one of the problems that many people face is that a particular button that needs to be pressed just once is pressed more than once. In such cases, duplicated messages are sent to the application architecture to perform the same function. A case in point being duplicate submissions that result when a person presses the submit buttons more than once.

What designers do in such cases is that they create an application interface wherein once the user presses a button that is to be used just once, they ensure that it remains inactive unless and until the user needs to use the button again.

Contextual Navigation

Another great technique that helps you improve the design of your web application interface is ensuring that your navigation is contextual. What this means is that you as a designer need to think from the user’s point of view and list out what they expect to see in a given context. It is not necessary to show the same navigation controls across the whole web application. You can change the navigation controls as per the context in such a way that it is able to respond better to the users need.

You need to adopt a flexible approach and an open ended mindset for designing the perfect user interface. If you try and maneuver the various interface elements into one rigid layout, there are all chances that it won’t be able to meet its desired objectives.

The design of a web application determines its levels of user experience. No web design whether it is for a web or mobile application is perfect. Some of these mistakes can be glossed over by designers and developers while others can’t. But, there are certain mistakes or designing pitfalls that need to be avoided at all costs.

Let’s take a look at five common web application design mistakes that if avoided can ensure a design that offers a very high level of satisfying user experience.

1. Thinking a Prototype is the same as the Final Design: The interesting bit about this mistake is that it is the designing mavens who are usually accused of making it. The problem begins at the very beginning of the design process, when the designers are working on the web application wireframe. They are so good at both ‘lo fi’ and ‘hi fi’ wireframe that they believe that the prototype they have developed is as good as the finished product. Let’s face it. It is their ego at work here. They are not willing to question the fact that there might be some polishing required to the prototype before the process of creating the actual design can be undertaken. A prototype is all that the design is going to look like but it is not the actual design in itself.  A web application has both a GUI, as well as, a backend and a prototype doesn’t suffice for both. But, it’s a mistake that many designers tend to make.
    
2. Design Inconsistencies: Inconsistent design is a mistake that plagues many web and mobile applications. When it comes to mobile application development, where the margin for making designing errors is minuscule at best, such inconsistencies become glaring. Inconsistent methods of displaying data cause problems with user experience, which is never a good idea for any web application, whatever the platform. Some designers tend to ignore the well documented user interface guidelines of major platforms, which leads to major designing errors. This is illustrated by problems in the lexical units of the UI, such as scroll bars, command links, check boxes etc.
    
3. A Visual Blow Out: Something that even the most experienced designers are susceptible to, is a problem known as overdesign, which leads to two basic problems – It takes the users for granted in terms of them appreciating visuals over functionality and it also leads to concept overkill. Whatever the designing convictions that drive your approach towards design, it’s important that they follow some of the common design and usability conventions in place. Over-blown visuals tend to make the application look more complicated than it actually is which affects its usability. So, in an attempt to help an application stand out from the crowd by ensuring it looks different, the design actually has an opposite effect.
    
4. Focus on non-conventional approach – This is a problem if you allow it to become one. There is no harm in giving your own take to the design of an application. But, it doesn’t make sense to entirely break from conventions. If you want your web application to be intuitive, it needs to have a design that looks familiar. This helps users recognize its parts and ensures that they are able to optimize its use. There is absolutely no doubt that breaking conventions when it comes to web application design only works if, it’s not implemented throughout your app. It’s important to understand that users have never seen your web application before and its first look must serve to comfort them rather than confuse them.
    
5. Thinking like a Designer:  Designing doesn’t work if a designer thinks from the perspective of a designer. As a designer, you won’t think twice about adding a certain design element that is complex and isn’t very user friendly. The fact that a designer is able to understand the design is of very little consequence. It’s the users who must be able to understand it. Designers, right from the time they work on the wireframe up to the time they come out with the final design, must put themselves in the shoes of the user. They must design a particular web application from the user’s perspective. This fact remains true for mobile application development as well. At every stage of the designing process, they must ask themselves one essential question, “Will the user understand this particular feature/element”? If there are any doubts in their minds, they must rework the design element to ensure that it meets the needs of the user.

These are five mistakes that many web application designers are prone to making. These can be avoided with very little effort, which in turn ensures that the application is truly cutting edge and in line with the expectations of the users and the clients.

The momentum behind HTML5 is building rapidly. Yes, there are a few big names like Apple that are driving this popularity, but there is absolutely no doubt that HTML5 brings plenty of benefits to the table and goes a long way in improving the functional quality of web applications.

Let’s take a look at how HTML5 is improving web applications.

Enhanced typography and font customization

The adoption of web fonts such as Web Open Font Format (WOFF), Google Web Font API, and Typekit etc. in HTML5 means developers now have the reins of the app text in their own hands. They can now determine how the text will look and ensure that they are able to optimize the expression of this text and control it as they see fit. With the HTML5 Web Design framework, the reliance of developers on images and Flash implementation is slowly but surely going down, which means the design & development team can now focus on text that not only looks good, but also works well with search engines.

Consistent Specifications

One of the biggest advantages offered by HTML5 is that it has made it easier to develop a web application that is compatible with numerous browsers. This is because it offers browser vendors a consistent set of specifications, right to their minutest detail, which in turn also ensures that the implementation of the web application across all browsers remains the same.

Enhanced Graphical Interactivity

With its integrated canvas elements, HTML5 helps build better and more interactive images with help of exhaustive graphics libraries. Earlier, the JavaScript layer couldn’t draw picture with the available data, but with the use of HTML5, this has become possible. The focus of developers has shifted from textual to more creative solutions.

Unified Environment

Developers can make better web apps as HTML doesn’t require the use of a collection of languages and just one language – JavaScript will suffice. Even in the case of the data model, it’s just XML and Document Object Model that is used. Also, when it comes to binding graphics, video, audio and the text, developers can use only one set of rules, which is CSS to do the same. With its unified standards, developers no longer need to use a different set of tools in a web application.

One of the core ideas behind HTML5 and all that it brings to the table is not just making things easier for developers and producing advanced web applications, but also to bring about a convergence of web and desktop applications. HTML5 seeks to get rid of developers’ dependence on third party plugins and extensions. For now, this is a work in progress, but there is no doubt that with the various benefits of HTML5, there is going to be a revolutionary change in not only the way web applications are developed but also in the web applications themselves.

A complex website having immense scope is generally a result of using multi-tier web applications. Generally, there are 3 tiers that are commonly used to ensure that a website is efficient and has all the features necessary to make it more scalable and extensible.

The three layers are:

• Presentation Tier
  
  This can also be called the User Interface of the website. When you access an ecommerce website through your browser, all that you see on the web page is a result of presentation tier. Let’s put it this way; whatever information that is available on the site including its catalog of products and services, right up to the shopping cycle that you see on the site, is a part of the presentation tier. Even if you wanted to; you won’t be able to see any behind the-scene processing.
  
  All that the source code will show is CSS, HTML, and JavaScript and in some cases you will be able to see Java Applets. But that’s it.
   
• Business Logic or Application Tier
  
  At the heart of your ecommerce site and its functioning would be the application tier. All your processes will be governed by this Tier. This layer contains all business logic, the business rules, as well as, the logic that governs the various functional processes. Your classes, source code, methodologies, properties, function, procedures etc will all be defined within their tier.
   
• Data Access Tier
  
  An ecommerce website is more about the exchange of data than anything else. This is the layer that stores all the data and helps simplify the access. One of the critical reasons why data is stored in another layer altogether is that various client modules can be developed with a high degree of conceptualization. What this layer helps does is that it allows you to keep the code that helps access your data store, separate from that of the presentation and the business logic code. You don’t have to rewrite the whole code if you want to make some data modification or update.

Benefit for your Ecommerce Site

Let’s not get too technical with the benefits, but the long and short of it is that it will help your ecommerce website perform better. More importantly, it makes the website scalable and helps you handle improved customer demand and rapid business growth.

Say your webpage needs to be made more sales oriented than it was earlier. Instead of rewriting the whole code, all you need to do is make the necessary changes to the presentation tier. The business and data tiers remain as is. This means faster modification and development, without the complexities of creating a new code. Likewise, if you want to make any changes to the business logic, it’s not going to affect the data or presentation tier.

When it comes to ecommerce, it’s of paramount importance that you are able to adapt to the changing needs of the market and the challenges posed to you by your competition. A multi-tier architecture of your website, keeps your site active even if there are some major changes taking place on your website.

There are plenty of web application development companies that you can choose to work with. But, you need to ensure that the particular company you choose, is reliable and your will have an extremely professional working relationship with the said company.

Here are 5 tips that ensure you choose a web application development company that is reliable and very professional.

1. The Key is Experience
   
   The development of web applications should come as second nature to the company you choose. This is only possible if the company has experience in developing a diverse range of applications for clients across various business domains. But, it's not just experience that you need to watch out for. The experience must be proven experience. The company must have a successful track record of bringing out effective web applications.
    
2. Web Application Security
   
   Does the company give prime importance to the security of the web application? The answer to this question will give you an idea about the company’s reliability. You want to get a web enabled application developed for a specific purpose and at times, this purpose involves the to and fro of sensitive information.
   
   You don’t want such information to be accessed by any unauthorized third party. This is why the security aspect should figure in on your selection for the right company.
    
3. A Well Defined Development Process
   
   It is imperative that the project, be it a web application or any other, goes through a clearly defined process of development. This will ensure the proper planning, management and control of the project. It needs to be taken through phases such as conceptualization (charting out project direction), allocation of resources and devising a plan of action, actual development, testing and support.
   
   Each phase has its own importance and the phases in their entirety make sure that the project is developed as planned and in line with client expectations.
    
4. Focuses on Maintaining Code Quality
   
   Code quality is all about improving the quality of the software. For any good web application development company, maintaining the quality of the code is as significant a part of the development process as any other. If a company focuses on a quality code, it automatically ensures the development of a project that is efficient, secure and can be delivered on time.
    
5. Good Communication
   
   Effective communication between the client and the service provider is a must for a successful and mutually beneficial working relationship. You should be able to convey your thoughts, ideas, opinions and suggestions to the people in charge. Sometimes a specific need or requirement that is conveyed to a service provider is not understood clearly. If the communication process is ineffective, this miscommunication leads to problems in the development of the project. But, if it is effective, this particular problem can be solved much before it leads to a bigger problem.

Taking note of these tips is a great way of ensuring that the web application development company that you choose is the best in business and offers reliable and professional solutions to its clients.