Very often when starting of with a new website project and listening to the wishes and specifications of my clients, I’m told “I want my website to look like Apple’s”. This obviously does not mean that I should do a copy and paste, but that Apple is pretty much synonymous with clean, classy and sleek design.

So what makes Apple’s design so sleek and classy?

Here are my thoughts:

1. Simplicity

   When you look at Apple’s website what you do not see is visual clutter. Specifically the homepage, which simply shows off their most recent work and provides you with a few easily understood categories to help you get to the information you want to see.

2. Stunning photography

   One of Apple’s principal reasons for cutting back on graphics on their website is to really showcase what is important: their products. Look at the photos they use; they really put their products centre stage. It is impossible to look at a page and not have your eyes focus on the products for a long time. The reasons that make these products look so incredible are that they use pristine professional photography and they make the products take up a huge portion of the page, which is very impressive.

3. Consistency

   Apple’s brand identity is applied across every single thing they design. It is quite amazing when you realise how much their software actually looks like their hardware.

4. Details

   Apple is all about attention to detail. Every little piece of their site is finished to perfection. Never fall into the trap of saying “no one will notice” or “good enough.” It is often the margin of time spent on the tiniest details that separate the good websites from the great ones.

5. Strong grid

   Every page on Apple’s site is attached to a strict grid structure. There is a lot going on, but instead of being overwhelming, the user experience is flawless. Breaking sporadic information up into manageable cells drastically reduces visual clutter and confusion.