Website Design Fundamentals

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗩 🔥 Instead, build a personal website with Lovable. It’s more authentic, way more expressive and it actually shows who you are. Here’s how to do it in under 10 min. Prompt Guide: 𝟭) 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 Start by describing yourself. Who are you? What's your background? What have you worked on? Pro tip: Upload a screenshot of your CV. Lovable can extract text from images, so you don’t have to write everything from scratch. 𝟮) 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲 Describe the feel of your site. Use expressive design language to shape the direction. Example: “Make it look like it was crafted by an award-winning designer. Ultra-modern, playful, highly usable. Smooth micro interactions, delightful UX touches.” 𝟯) 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 Reference brands you like. It gives Lovable a clear design language to pull from. Example: “Use Apple's design system. Lots of white space, soft shadows, frosted-glass elements, and a tight grid.” 𝟰) 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 Ask Lovable for animations that bring the site to life. Example: “Add hover states to buttons, smooth scroll transitions, and soft fade-ins on cards.” 𝟱) 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 No work to show (yet)? Use a 3D visual instead. Go to Spline, remix something you like, grab the embed code, and drop it into Lovable. Example: “Add this rotating 3D sphere" 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 🚀 𝟲) 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 People hire people. Record a quick video intro to build connection. Prompt tip: “Embed a circular video of me at the top, saying hi and sharing my story. Keep it friendly and natural.” 𝟳) 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 / 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 Let people see what you’re great at. Prompt tip: “Add a clean grid showing the tools I use—Figma, Notion, Webflow, etc. Include logos.” 𝟴) 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 Social proof builds trust. Screenshot nice messages from Slack, LinkedIn, or email. Prompt tip: “Include 2–3 short quotes from colleagues or managers about working with me.” 𝟵) 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 Most people will see your site on mobile first. Make sure it feels great. Prompt tip: “Optimize layout, font sizes, and buttons for mobile. Prioritize speed and readability.” 𝟭𝟬/ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗧𝗔 Don't just show, invite for action. Prompt tip: “Add a bold CTA at the end: ‘Let’s work together’ with a button linking to my email or LinkedIn.” This is how you stand out. Personal website > CV.

How I created my UX Portfolio from scratch ↴ This post covers: building case studies + choosing the platform. (📝 Resume tips coming in upcoming posts!) 👉 The first time I built my portfolio, I had no design background — just the Google UX Design Certificate I finished in 1.5 months, and 3 case studies (all hypothetical). 👉 The second time, I had some real experience — and updating it led to my first Product Design role. 💼 Here’s what actually helped me: ✅ 3 solid case studies Doesn’t matter if they’re hypothetical problems 🖥 Web design 📱 Mobile app 🌐 Different industries + different approaches Even while freelancing, I chose projects that helped me grow & build versatility. ✅ Choose your platform wisely You can go for Behance or Dribbble — but I strongly recommend creating your own website. It makes you stand out. I used Wix — no code needed, super flexible, cheap domain. (Con: not super responsive on tablets — but worth it.) ✅ Research + take notes Google: “Top 20 UX Portfolios 2025”. Open 20–30 of them — don’t just read case studies. 📸 Screenshot everything you love: footers, testimonials, cover banners, page layouts, even animations. Look at their: • Brand color, logo, minimal or bold style • Case study structure (overview → research → design → outcome) • Additional pages like Photography, Playground, Blog, Illustrations ✅ Start planning before designing Use Notion / Trello / Google Docs. Start listing tasks + ideas: • What projects are you showing? • What skills do you want to highlight? • What types of projects are you aiming for? Then, create a Google Doc for each page — About, Case Study 1, etc. Add text, image ideas, testimonials, design section layouts — everything. 💡 Label it as V1 — no pressure to be perfect. Iterate → V2 → V3. ✅ Build like a designer: from docs to design Use the docs as a blueprint. Start translating your ideas into your site. 🛠 In Wix, I began with my branding — logo, theme, vibe. 📄 Started with the header + footer, then one page at a time. 💡 Pro tip: use Strips in Wix — acts like auto layout in Figma (easy to move sections). 📌 Google everything you’re stuck on — there’s a tutorial for everything. ✅ Present your work right Don’t just show designs — tell the story. Include: • Goals • Research • Wireframes → Final designs • Design files / prototypes • What you learned, what changed 📷 Add photos of yourself working, behind-the-scenes, anything that adds authenticity. ✅ Go live 🚀 Buy a domain. Add resume + social links. Publish + share on LinkedIn. Let people see your work and give feedback. Your portfolio is never final — keep improving. 🎯 UX portfolios take time. Be patient. Stay focused. If you want that first job — this is where you show what you’re capable of. 💬 Let me know if you want me to break down how I write case studies — happy to share! And meanwhile — follow me on Instagram @inher.designera for videos + more tips! #productdesign #design #uiuxdesign #portfolio

5 Common UX Mistakes Designers Should Avoid (With Simple Fixes) If your UI looks good but still feels off, you’re probably running into one of these UX mistakes. Here are quick, practical fixes that instantly make your designs clearer, more usable, and more human-friendly 👇 --- 1. Stuffing Too Much Text Into One Block Users don’t read walls of text — they skip them. ❌ Example: Property details dumped in one long paragraph. ✅ Fix: Use short lines, headings, icons, and spacing to make the content scannable. --- 2. Showing UI Elements Without Context Minimal doesn’t mean confusing. ❌ Example: List items labeled only as “Downloaded.” ✅ Fix: Add micro-labels or short descriptions so users know what they're looking at. --- 3. Cards That Don’t Look Clickable If it looks static, users won’t tap. ❌ Example: Flat cards with no interaction cues. ✅ Fix: Add shadows, arrows, hover effects, or clear CTAs like “Apply”, “View”, etc. --- 4. Using Only a Loading Spinner Spinners feel slow and empty. ❌ Example: A blank screen with one loader in the middle. ✅ Fix: Use skeleton screens so users see structure and feel progress instantly. --- 5. Low Contrast Between UI Layers If everything looks the same, nothing stands out. ❌ Example: Dropdown overlays blending into the background. ✅ Fix: Keep layers 2+ shades apart for depth and clarity. --- Good UX isn’t about adding more — it’s about making things easier to understand, faster to process, and effortless to use. Which mistake have you seen the most in real projects? 👀 #UXDesign #UIDesign #DesignTips #ProductDesign #UXMistakes #UXWriting #UserExperience #DesignThinking #InterfaceDesign #DigitalProducts

The ₹2,000/month I pay for ChatGPT is paying back — in real savings. For years, I paid for a managed WordPress subscription — just to host a simple personal web page. It wasn’t much work, but it added up: ₹5,000–₹10,000 every year. On top of that, I barely updated the site. This year, I decided to change that. With help from ChatGPT, I set up a simple website — without paying for managed hosting. It now costs me zero for hosting, and only the basic domain renewal from GoDaddy. Here's how: 1. Host a static site for free using Cloudflare Pages (or GitHub Pages/Netlify) 2. Point your GoDaddy domain to your new site (simple DNS update) 3. Build your page using basic HTML + CSS (ChatGPT can generate this for you) 4. Update anytime with a few clicks — no ongoing hosting fees Simple. Fast. Free. If you're still paying annually for basic website hosting, this is worth exploring. ChatGPT can give you detailed steps too.

I just relaunched my website, and here’s my blueprint for building your own (even on a budget). After building websites for BlackRock, Glovo, and NielsenIQ, refreshing my own finally felt overdue, and surprisingly fun. LinkedIn is rented visibility. As much as I love it, I needed a home for my portfolio, story, and the work that shaped the last decade of my career. If you want to create or refresh yours, here’s the simple framework I used: 1. Prep: Define your website’s goal. This is the hardest part, and most people tend to jump straight into design. Don’t do that. This phase is crucial and needs the most brainpower. Ask: What should my website make people understand, feel, or do? Your goal determines everything. (And yes, you can hire someone just for this strategy piece.) 2. Prep: Create a lightweight brand kit If you're not a company or don't have many resources, you don’t need a full agency. You may need a designer and possibly a personal brand strategist. In this step, define your brand personality, color palette, typography, imagery style, and logo. 3. Draft your copy. Copy is so important. It's what will influence or move people to action. Draft your copy and have AI be your co-pilot here. What story are you telling? What should people know or do on each page? What and how many pages do you need? (Mine: Home, About, Work, Speaking, Consulting, Contact) If writing isn’t your thing, hire a copywriter for this step. It's worth it. 4. Build your sitemap. A simple map of your pages and structure creates clarity. You can map this out on Canva, there's a great template you can follow. Here you'll essentially map out what pages exist, how they connect, what goes where, and what assets are needed (images, samples, logos, case studies). 5. Prepare your content docs. For each page, gather your copy, visuals, examples you like, and layout ideas. This is the process I follow with global brands and what I did for myself, and you can hire someone to advise or assemble these so the user experience matches what you're looking for. (Btw: always remember to optimize for mobile.) I always like to provide ample examples of pages I like, websites that reflect what I'm looking for, and get extra precise with directions for the developer. 6. Hire smart, affordable help. You don’t need a $10K agency. I hired a developer on Fiverr and handed over the sitemap, brand kit, copy, assets, and examples. Clear inputs lead to great outputs, you'll need to follow the development closely to ensure you're happy with the final result. 7. Review, refine, launch Ask yourself: Is the message clear? Does it feel like me? Is there a clear CTA? If yes, publish. My new website finally feels like a true reflection of my story and decade of work. I’d love for you to explore it and let me know what you think: https://lnkd.in/gPtNuuJy

"I want to make a website like yours. How should I start?" A young teen asked me this some weeks back. I opened my laptop, went to divyathakur.me, and walked him through the unglamorous but real steps that built it. The posts, research, and all. 1. Know your site’s true purpose Mine started as a place to document my Behavioural Science PhD journey and EdTech research. Now it also archives my invited talks like “Learning by Doing” for UGC-MMTTC and Design Thinking at SVKM’s UPG. The clarity? It’s for educators, researchers, and the curious. 2. Pick a platform, but keep it light I use WordPress with a fast, minimal theme. No clutter just enough plugins to track engagement (Google Search Console) and keep it running smoothly. 3. Solve problems, don’t chase keywords My post on “Make Your First Move Count: Crafting Abstracts that Win Reviewers” ranks well not because I stuffed keywords, but because it gave researchers a tangible before/after example with my own MOOC abstracts as proof. https://lnkd.in/dA7ckAxq 4. Think mobile-first When someone lands on my CalculateMyDahej.xyz blog, it loads instantly, images are compressed, and menus are thumb-friendly. If your site can’t do that, you’ve lost them. https://lnkd.in/dg3nA3wg 5. Design with kindness My Invited Talks page has clear dates, topics, and links to slides — no hunting required. The “About” section is short enough to read in an elevator ride. 6. Give value to get traffic Sharing my post “Why Awarapan Still Has My Heart” in a storytelling group brought in 2x more traffic than any SEO tweak. Collaborations, reposts, and community sharing drive far more visits than passive hope. https://lnkd.in/dRhghWA2 7. Treat updates like brushing your teeth 👉 Weekly: Backup + update plugins 👉Monthly: Check top blog analytics (like From Newbie to IIT Insider) and refresh content 👉Quarterly: Test all forms + optimize your most visited pages Content Idea Triggers (Credits: Search Console insights tip) 📌 Google Related Searches: Use 'People also asked' & 'Related searches' for fresh angles. 📌Search Console Insights: Check your site's top and trending queries in Google Search Console Insights and consider creating more related content to strengthen your reach. 📌Google Trends: Track topic popularity. You don’t need to be a coder (I’m from social sciences ✋). You just need to be curious, consistent, and willing to publish what you wish existed when you started. My sandbox is always open: divyathakur.me #WordPressTips #WebsiteDesign #WebsiteStrategy #DigitalPresence #SEO2025 #AcademicBranding #PortfolioTips

3 brutal UX truths every business website needs to hear: (Especially if you want users to actually convert.) I’m not here to brag about a redesign. I’m here to show what clarity and purpose can actually do. Because we see this too often: Websites that look okay, but feel like a puzzle. And users bounce. Fast. Here’s what we did for Equip  (and what most websites still get wrong): 1. Clutter is killing your conversions The old layout tried to say everything at once. No clear direction.  No obvious action. 💡We simplified the structure. Made one thing impossible to miss: What Equip does and why it matters. 2. Generic visuals = forgettable brand Stocky icons and random visuals = zero impact. 📌We crafted a fresh visual language: - Clean, bold illustrations - Strong contrast - UI that feels trustworthy Users need to feel your difference within seconds. 3. No one reads a wall of text Paragraphs everywhere.  No hierarchy.  Zero scanability. 💡We rewrote the content flow: - Clear headers - Digestible chunks - One job per screen Modern users scroll fast.  We designed for that behavior. This wasn’t just a “prettier” redesign. It was a strategic overhaul. Clear structure Stronger brand presence Easier decisions for users That’s how you build trust. That’s how you get users to stay. Which of these 3 mistakes do you still see way too often?

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 . . . Ready to showcase your skills and projects to the world? Let's build your first portfolio website together! Follow these steps, and you'll have a stunning online presence in no time. Let's dive in! ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 1: 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 Start by sketching out a layout. Decide what sections you need, such as About Me, Projects, Skills, and Contact. Make a list of the content you'll include. ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 2: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Pick a memorable domain name that represents you. Use platforms like Namecheap or GoDaddy to buy your domain. For hosting, consider options like GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel. ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 3: 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐔𝐩 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Install a code editor like VS Code and set up Git for version control. Create a new repository for your portfolio project on GitHub ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 4: 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 Create a visually appealing design using tools like Figma or Adobe XD. Focus on a clean, user-friendly layout that highlights your work effectively. ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 5: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐋 Start coding by setting up the basic structure with HTML. Create sections for your header, about, projects, skills, and contact information. ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 6: 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐒𝐒 Use CSS to bring your design to life. Define styles for your text, layout, and visual elements. Experiment with flexbox or grid for a responsive layout. ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 7: 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 Incorporate JavaScript to add interactive features like a project carousel, form validation, or smooth scrolling effects. Enhance the user experience! ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 8: 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 Ensure your portfolio looks great on all devices. Use media queries in your CSS to make your website responsive and mobile-friendly ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 9: 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 Deploy your site using platforms like GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel. Follow their documentation for easy deployment steps and get your website live ✅𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 10: 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Share your portfolio with friends, mentors, and on social media. Gather feedback and continuously improve your site based on suggestions Watch my latest video to know about other crucial things in college beyond just studying. https://lnkd.in/gjEUs3qx Follow Swati Jha for more content related to coding, interview preparation, resume building, software engineering and career growth. #portfolio #techskills #developerlife

Please stop making everything clickable. Almost on every website I see accessibility mistakes that have nothing to do with ARIA or WCAG failures - it's making non-interactive elements interactive. They can be entire cards, headings, images, icons, table rows and even paragraphs. Just because something can be clicked doesn't mean it should be. A simple rule that can help: ➡️ If it performs an action or takes users somewhere → make it interactive. Examples: • Links • Buttons • Form controls • Menu items ➡️ If it only presents information → don't make it clickable. Examples: • Headings • Paragraphs • Decorative icons • Images (unless they're links) • Static text • Informational cards Here are a few patterns I often see: 1. A <div> with an onclick event pretending to be a button. 2. An entire product card that's clickable, even though it already contains a "View details" link. 3. A heading that expands content when it should actually be a <button>. 4. A table row that acts like a link but isn't announced as one. 5. Icons that respond to mouse clicks but can't be reached with a keyboard. So why does this matter? - screen readers announce links, buttons, and form controls, not generic clickable containers. - keyboard users expect only interactive elements to receive focus. - users quickly learn which elements they can interact with. When everything is clickable, those expectations disappear. A few facts that surprise many developers: 💡 onclick doesn't make an element accessible. 💡 replacing native HTML with clickable <div> elements means recreating keyboard support, focus management, and semantics yourself. 💡 nested interactive elements (for example, a button inside a clickable card) often create invalid HTML and confusing user experiences. Here's a quick checklist: ✅ Navigation → Use a link (<a>) ✅ Actions → Use a button (<button>) ✅ Information → Leave it non-interactive ✅ Need a clickable card? Make the title a link or provide a clear action button instead of turning the entire card into one large click target. Good accessibility isn't about making more things interactive, it's about making the right things interactive. What's the most unexpected clickable element you've seen on a website? #Accessibility #WebAccessibility #HTML #Frontend #WebDevelopment #InclusiveDesign #UX #WCAG #A11y

After 100+ site launches, I can predict which mistakes kill conversions. Wild, right? No matter the niche. I keep seeing the same 8: ❌ Broken links (who checks these before launch? not enough people…) ❌ Stock images (yes, I mean the ones everyone seen 100x) ❌ Fake testimonials (your cousin Tim is not fooling anyone) ❌ Popups in the first 2 seconds (ouch, my eyes) ❌ AI blog posts with zero value (Google knows. Users know) ❌ Loading spinners that never stop (still waiting... still) ❌ Moving sliders in the hero section (nobody clicks these, ever) ❌ Low contrast design (hard to read is hard to trust) Every. Single. Time. I wish I could say these are hard to fix. They’re not. You just need to spot them. I learned fast-fixing these lifts conversions overnight. Pretty design means nothing if your site tripwires users. Clarity wins. Speed wins. Real wins. Seen one (or all) of these on your own site? Anything you wanna add?