Ever visit a website and think “WOW, this is gorgeous!” and then shortly after struggle to find how to connect with someone or the specific info you’re looking for?

It’s great for a website to look stunning, but if it has a sh!t user experience, people aren’t going to stay.

Aesthetics can attract attention, but utility ensures effectiveness and efficiency.

This applies to all areas of business — not just your website. It happens with spreadsheets, workbooks, business processes, invoices, contracts, and even how your office is organized.

What happens when you prioritize function over aesthetics?

Some may say aesthetics aren’t important as long as it functions properly.

Those people are WRONG.

Aesthetic elements like colour-coding, font choices, and borders aren't just for looks; they guide the eye, improve readability, and make tasks quicker to complete.

Imagine a plain spreadsheet with only numbers and words. Your eyes take longer to adjust and find what you need.

But, if the spreadsheet is colour-coded (like green for "yes" and red for "no"), you can instantly see the information you need.

Here’s an example

**Please note most of these things are made up with the help of our robot friend ChatGPT. No shade to any of these celebrities. 😂

Your spreadsheet can be a data crunching monster, but if it’s hard to find the information you need, it’s not super useful.

Now let’s look at one that has been bedazzled…

What happens when you prioritize looks over function?

You can make a beautiful contract, but if your new client can’t figure out how to sign it… that’s a problem.

You might be tempted to create a fancy invoice in Canva (please don’t), but without integrated payment options, you’re making it harder for clients to pay you quickly. Instead, using something like QuickBooks Online (QBO), enables clients to pay with a simple "Pay Now" button. Why is this important? Because getting the payment is the point of sending an invoice.

Let’s keep going with this Canva vs QBO contract to explain more.

First, let’s take a look at a visual…

The Canva contract looks great… (not that much better than QBO if you ask me) but the QBO one gets the job done much faster.

With Canva, you have to manually create (update customer info, product info, payment amounts, calculate the totals), send and track invoices. QBO however, allows you to input your product information, does the math for you, automatically sends reminders and tracks payments, making the whole process streamlined and straightforward.

Is the extra effort to make something look good worth the inefficiency it creates? Does the person on the receiving end even notice that the Canva one looks “nicer”?

The answer to both - NO.

**The amount of time it took me to make the example for this blog was ANNOYING!**

How to make sure you have both: Function and aesthetics

1. Start with Functionality

Begin by identifying the core purpose of your tool or document. Ask yourself:

What are we trying to achieve?
What are the non-negotiables for it to function effectively?
What specific features are required for the best user experience?

Example: For a website, your primary goal might be to get customers to contact you. This means the site should have a clear path from showcasing your services to providing a way for clients to reach out.

2. Build the Framework

Once you know the key functions, create a basic structure that fulfills these needs. Focus on simplicity and clarity. Think through what functions will be needed for this (automations, contact forms, payment options).

For a contract, this means clearly outlining the terms, conditions, and signature requirements.
For an invoice, this involves organizing information such as the amount due, due date, and payment methods.

Think of this step as creating the "skeleton" of your project. It doesn’t need to look perfect yet, but it must work flawlessly.

3. Test for Usability

Before making anything visually appealing, test the framework to ensure it functions as intended. Pretend to be the end user and:

Navigate through a website
Fill out a contract
Create and send an invoice

Before you get too excited about adding extra features, make sure the key features outlined in step 1 are working perfectly. This step is all about making sure it does what it’s supposed to.

Identify any problems or areas for improvement. Fix these issues before moving on to the next step. If you need to repeat steps 2 & 3 a couple more times, that is fine.

It isn’t a linear process.

4. Add Content and Details

Once you know it all functions, fill in the framework with all the necessary content and details:

On a website, expand on your service pages, add detailed descriptions, images, and client testimonials. Ensure all content aligns with the end goal.
In a contract, provide all specific terms, client details, and clauses.
On an invoice, include specific product or service descriptions, unit prices, totals, taxes, and any terms of payment.

*5. Enhance with Aesthetics (**BEDAZZLE*)

Now that everything works smoothly, use design elements to make it more visually engaging and easier to use:

Font formatting: Use bold text, colour, and underlining to highlight important information.
Spacing and layout: Ensure text is properly spaced for readability
Headings and bullet points: Organize content to guide the reader's eye
Colour coding: Differentiate categories and choices visually (e.g., green for "yes," red for "

6. Final Review and Adjustments

After adding aesthetic elements, do another round of testing. Make sure that these elements enhance the usability and do not overwhelm or confuse the user. Refine the aesthetics based on feedback to ensure that they effectively complement the functionality.

Send it to a friend (without any explanation of how to use it or what it is) and ask them to review it and give their thoughts. If you’ve properly balanced function and aesthetics they should know how to use it without any help.

**Bonus tip, test on multiple devices. Different browsers, tablet, phone, etc.

Final thoughts: don’t settle for one or the other

Being pretty is great, but being useful is better.

The magic happens when you combine both.

Don’t settle for a beautiful website that doesn’t convert or a pretty invoice that delays payment. Find the balance, use aesthetics to enhance efficiency and create something that’s both visually appealing and incredibly functional.

Being pretty is great, being useful is better, being both is MAGIC!