What are Footers in UI Design?

The layout of webpages and apps has a direct correlation with how well they are going to perform among users. The user interface needs to be intuitive, accessible, and include all the useful information visitors seek out. Think about it this way - you are scrolling through a page that seems to be endless. First of all, it would feel unnatural for it to just not culminate (even though the endless scroll is a pretty big thing at the moment). Secondly, you may be used to finding certain information at the bottom of an app or website - this very section is also known as the footer.

For many of us, our first experiences with footers were not even related to the tech world! Remember when we were kids and found ourselves incredibly immersed in a book we were reading, and we wanted to find out everything about the topic? Well, one of the ways we would find out additional information was to look at the bottom of the page and read the footer. But what do footers refer to in the UI UX design world?

The footer is a UI element that is placed at the bottom of a web page. Generally, it includes information such as page numbers, copyrights, creation dates, and links related to documents. It is essential for establishing a well-organized and clear interface, as well as for ensuring that the user experience is flawless.

In order to be able to design this UI element, it is important to be familiar with the sections that make it up. Footers are simple UI design elements that are built from the bottom up and made up of two main components.

• Bottom Part. This part is mandatory, and it contains elements such as the copyright label and legal links. In some cases, it may also include links to different social media platforms. 
• Top Part. The top part is not mandatory, and content-wise, it can include various things. Some of the most common elements are navigation links and contacts.

• Providing Help. 

Footers have the quality of providing additional information that can be useful for users. One of the most common instances in which footers come in handy is when we want to assist users with links that are related to the experience on the website.

• Bottom of the Page. 

Footers can help us establish a visual order in our websites, and it should be considered during the design process. Users are already used to and anticipate that a website will have a footer at the bottom of the page. This is why integrating a footer at the end of a page can ensure balance in the visual aspect. 

• Do Not Use Cases. 

One of the cases in which it is not advisable to implement a footer is for call-to-action buttons. Due to its placement at the bottom of the page, it is unlikely that advertising the main products would prosper in a footer.

• Marketing.

Although adding links to the main products in the web page in the footer would be counterproductive, there are means of using this UI design element for advertising purposes. For example, a signup form link could be inserted in a footer in order to reach out to new leads more easily. In this way, we also avoid pushing an aggressive type of publicity that can often ruin the user experience.

• Testimonials. 

Companies often take advantage of the footer concept in order to showcase various testimonials from clients who have good reviews for their products. This is another common marketing technique that has been proven to bring success in many cases.

• Links. 

Most footers include links that lead to different documents. It is important to ensure that the links we provide in the footer are not broken or empty, as it may decrease engagement on our page. Links are crucial aspects of web design, and due to our footers not containing large bodies of text, these are even more important.

• Consistency. 

In UI UX design, websites and apps should follow a cohesive structure and aesthetic. In the same way, our footers need to match the overall visuals and direction of the page.

• Organization.  

Because footers can include relevant information, it is important to establish a logical and intuitive structure and organization. For example, legal information should be placed in the footer based on the type of website we are dealing with. Users should be able to easily identify the information they are looking for in the footer.

• Prioritizing. 

Inside the footer, the most essential part of the content should be placed on the main page. Besides this, we should avoid repeating the information from the pages in the footer - the users have probably already gone over that. 

• Brand Identity.

At first glance, footers may not seem like a top-priority design element to consider. However, this is far from the truth. While the information it contains is not urgent, the style, layout, colors, and input text should all reflect the brand identity of the page. 

uinkits – Our Figma Design System and UI Kits

We at uinkits understand the importance of great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.

“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.

Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!