Whilst beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and of course everybody is entitled to their own opinion, web design is judged by the users of the website and not the website owners. There are many factors that affect the usability of a website, and it is not just about the visuals but also the functionality. I have tried to follow some web design principles throughout the development of my website and I will explain them below.
Search bar: Jakob Nielsen states that more than 50% of all users when visiting a website, immediately look straight for the search bar. Nielsen continues to say that users do not like to look around on a website, they like the information displayed in a straight forward and simple manner "The best designs offer a simple search box on the homepage and play down advanced search and scoping". This sole reason is the decision behind the inclusion of a search bar in my website.
Responsive: One of the main aspects with using Bootstrap is its responsiveness. The usability of website is enhanced when it resizes to screens on which it is used. This is more important now than ever as the majority of users will be on mobile devices. If a user is visiting your website and it is not easy on the eye or is hard to navigate, they will immediately leave. I have ensured my website is responisive for all devices.
Color scheme: Colour palettes used throughout a website can aid the users experience. Colours add balance throughout the site and a create a vibrant feeling when browsing. I have used colours for buttons and headings and hover functionality in order to maintain the white space throughout the website and help it to appear less cluttered.
Gestalt design: I have followed Gestalt's Psychology for design by grouping items that are similar, as Gestalt states that humans tend to group relative objects. I have ensured that whitespace is prevalent throughout the website with clear sections added throughout in order to maintain symmetry throughout the website. Randomly placed content throughout the website would throw the user, for this reason I have followed a grid based layout using sections and columns that all line up together.