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As a UI/UX designer with over a decade of experience, I’ve had the opportunity to lead panel discussions, collaborate with globally recognized designers, and contribute to product teams shaping the future of digital design. My work spans various industries, from tech startups to established international companies, where I’ve helped translate complex user needs into clean, functional, and visually engaging interfaces.

Throughout my career, I’ve always believed in the power of strong design principles — not only for aesthetic value but also for improving usability and accessibility. I’ve worked closely with cross-functional teams, participated in international design forums, and stayed involved in design communities where I continuously learn, teach, and exchange ideas.

Now, I want to share the most essential elements of UI design that every designer — whether beginner or advanced — should keep in mind when building user interfaces. Below is a practical breakdown of the key visual principles that shape a great user experience.

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Make Important Elements Stand Out

When creating a user interface, it’s essential to guide users to the most important information first. You can do this by using dominance — making certain parts of your design stronger or more eye-catching.

How to make something dominant:

• Size — Bigger elements catch more attention.
• Color — Bright or bold colors can highlight key parts.
• Contrast — High contrast (like black and white) makes things pop.
• Position — Items in the center or top of the screen usually stand out.
• Whitespace — More space around an element makes it feel more important.

Example: On Apple’s homepage, the big central banner and the bright blue button are the most noticeable parts. That’s dominance in action.

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Use Alignment to Create Order

Alignment is about placing elements in a way that feels organized and easy to read. It helps create structure in your design.

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Types of alignment:

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1. Left-aligned — Best for most text because it matches natural reading patterns.

2. Center-aligned — Good for titles or main buttons.

3. Right-aligned — Useful for specific layouts.

4. Justified — Lines up text on both sides, mostly used in blocks of text.

5. Grid-aligned — Based on a layout grid that helps position all elements evenly.

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Why it matters:

• Helps users scan the screen easily
• Improves readabilit
• Makes the design look neat and professional
• Guides users through the page

Example: The BBC website uses alignment well — the logo is centered, the search and menu are on the left, and the Sign In button is on the right.

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Group Related Content with Proximity

Proximity means putting related items close together and separating unrelated ones. This helps users understand the content faster.

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Example: On Medium, articles are on the left and the author’s bio is on the right — it keeps things clean and easy to follow.

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Use Color to Guide and Communicate

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Color isn’t just decoration. It influences emotions, decisions, and user actions.

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How color helps in UI design:

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1. Emotions — Red feels urgent; blue feels calm and professional.

2. Hierarchy — Bright colors show what’s most important (like buttons).

3. Meaning — Red = error, green = success, blue = trust.

4. Accessibility — Good contrast helps everyone read content.

5. Branding — Using the right colors builds brand identity.

6. Feedback — Color changes can show if something was clicked or not.

7. Focus — Bright colors can draw attention to key areas.

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Example: On Apple’s website, a blue CTA button stands out, while a transparent button stays subtle.

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Use Contrast to Make Content Easy to Read

Contrast helps users know what’s important. High contrast makes text readable and buttons visible.

Why contrast matters:

• Makes text easier to read
• Shows visual order and importance
• Helps people with visual impairments

Tips:

• Use dark text on a light background (or the opposite)
• Make buttons and icons stand out with bold colors
• Use size contrast to show what’s most important

Example: Amazon uses bright yellow for its search button — it stands out against the rest of the page.

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Typography: More Than Just Fonts

Typography is not only about choosing a good-looking font. It also affects readability, branding, and user experience.

Why typography matters:

• Helps users read content easily
• Supports brand identity
• Improves accessibility
• Keeps the design consistent

Best practices:

1. Use clean, easy-to-read fonts (like sans-serif)

2. Create a clear hierarchy (big for headings, medium for subheadings, small for body text)

3. Use enough line and letter spacing

4. Keep good contrast between text and background

5. Stick to one or two font styles for a clean look

6. Align text properly for better flow

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Example: Airbnb uses bold text for important info like location and price, while other text is smaller and lighter.

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Pick the Right Icons

Icons help users understand actions or ideas quickly without reading.

Best practices:

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1. Keep icons simple and easy to recognize

2. Use the same style throughout your design

3. Use common icons for common actions

4. Make sure icons look clickable

5. Keep enough space around each icon

6. Add labels if needed

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Example: Material UI has a large collection of clear, useful icons: https://mui.com/material-ui/material-icons

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Design with Context in Mind

Users interact with your design in different ways depending on where and how they use it.

Key points:

• Consider device size (phone, tablet, desktop)
• Think about what users want to do
• Keep in mind where users might be (at home, outside, etc.)
• Plan for different types of input (touch, voice, keyboard)
• Design for users of all ages and abilities
• Optimize for low internet speed when needed

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Separate Content from Controls

It’s easier to use a design when users can tell the difference between information and interactive elements.

Tips:

• Use space, colors, or borders to separate buttons from content
• Group controls together in logical spots
• Make interactive elements (like buttons and links) look different

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Keep Things Simple

Simplicity is one of the most powerful design principles. It makes everything easier — faster to understand, easier to use, and better for performance.

Why it works:

• Less confusion
• Faster actions
• Easier for people with disabilities
• Faster loading time

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Final Thoughts

In this part of the guide, we talked about key visual principles like color, typography, contrast, and layout. These help create designs that are not only nice to look at but also easy to use. When your UI is clear, consistent, and user-focused, people will have a better experience. Keep testing and improving your designs with the user in mind — that’s the key to success.

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Aram Andreasyan
Industry Leader, Design Expert

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