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  • Writer's pictureSebin George

User Interface (UI) design patterns: What are they and how are they categorized?

Updated: Mar 21


user interface design pattern

User interface (UI) design is a vital process designers use to build interfaces in software or computerized devices, focusing on looks or style. UI Design focuses on anticipating what users might need to do and ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access, understand, and use to facilitate those actions. User Interface (UI) refers to concepts from interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.


Good layout design is both dynamic and clear, creating visual points of interest that guide the reader through a piece of content without overshadowing its message.

Types of Layout Patterns


User Interface design patterns are repeating solutions to prevalent challenges in design. Designers can communicate using design patterns as a shared language. They allow for discussion of alternatives, where simply mentioning the name of a design pattern has far more weight than just the name.


Card-style Web Layout design patterns



Card-style Web Layout design patterns

Cards are important in UI layout design because they blend text and pictures and are particularly beneficial when you want a user to peruse the content of various types and lengths.


Split-screen Layout design


Split-screen Layout design

When full-screen items are separated into two or more vertical pieces, a split-screen layout design is used. Regardless of how popular such website themes are these days, this selection can make or break your design. Split-screen layout designs, when done correctly and logically, provide a fantastic viewing experience for your customers. Split-screen layout designs are ideal for minimalist website designs that aren't overburdened with bold UI components. Furthermore, it would be an excellent choice for landing pages with selectable options on both sides.


Grids


Grids design pattern

The utilization of the grid is attractive to the eye from a mathematical standpoint. Although the grids are not apparent in the UI UX design, they help with element placement, proportional distribution, and interface consistency.


Single-page Layouts


Single-page Layouts design

Users are immersed in a straightforward linear experience on single-page sites. There is a distinct beginning, middle, and end to the story. Single-page sites are highly suited for mobile users who are familiar with the scrolling gesture due to their scrolling nature. For sites with a single purpose, one-page navigation is, of course, more straightforward than a larger site.


Asymmetry


Asymmetry design

Asymmetrical layout designs convey a sense of movement and dynamism. Due to the laws of composition and balance, asymmetry tends to be more expressive to the eye; it promotes the hierarchy of the pieces and gives them movement.


Navigation Tabs


Navigation Tabs

Navigation tabs, which resembled tabs on file folders or binder dividers, were formerly a cornerstone of skeuomorphic design. Tab-style navigation, on the other hand, has evolved through time and no longer resembles an actual tab. Instead, each item in a menu has a visual distinction from other menu items, which is a trademark of navigation tabs. This can be inconspicuous at times, and it can also appear just when a menu item is selected or hovered over. Smaller menus with only a few items are best served by navigation tabs. If not, they may appear cluttered. They can, however, be paired with submenu dropdowns to increase their functionality and usability. They're also common in horizontal navigation, however, there are also some ui design pattern examples for vertical navigation.


Carousels


Carousels design

Carousels of content are frequently found in a website's header or hero section. They frequently incorporate both images and text, while others may just include one or the other. When space is limited, they're utilized to display many content UI components within a single part of a page.


Salient Points

  • Card layout design -blends text and image.

  • Split-screen layout design - for minimalist designs.

  • Grids - grids need not be visually apparent but they help in element placement, proportional distribution, and interface consistency.

  • Single-page layout design - a linear and simple user experience.

  • Asymmetry- more expressive to the eye as it conveys movement.

  • Navigation is a common feature of most websites, like a signboard it points you to the needed pages without scouring the whole website.

  • Carousel is a series of linear images or text or both with little whitespace that usually showcases some important content.

If you have trouble deciding the user interface design pattern appropriate for your website or if you want to develop your own website, then look no further. Get in touch with UI designers & UX developers from our team to get your next project designed or to get your doubts cleared.

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