Online casinos gained a lot of popularity in the past few years. What says the difference between the available online casino website is the software used. Online casino software complies of all technical features including serves, security, payment system, technical support but also the variety of games available on the platform. While creating the product, software developers try to put themselves into players shoes. Meeting a players needs but most important, stimulating the player through the gaming experience is the focal point of online casino websites — an outstanding online casino design powers great gaming experiences. The way the graphics, color schemes, and sound effects layout on a platform has a whole philosophy behind it.
The design is created to attract the players, engage them, and make them relate to the online casino brand and nevertheless, make them come back again. In this article, we are going to talk about the online casino design strategies, its importance, and the next design trends expected to emerge later this year.
Online Casino Design VS. Real Casino Interiors
Excellent design is one of the essential aspects of online casino development. Beautiful looking websites attract more players and can quickly reach a top-favorites list of any gamer. The online casino design mimics a real casino set-up firstly, and actual casino design is known for holding certain psychology features behind it. For example, there are no clocks in a traditional casino, taking the notion of time away from the players encouraging them to play more. Complicated floor plans bring players back to the gambling tables no matter where they were trying to go. Most respected casinos have a lavish, glamorous style to them, but at the same time, they make their guests feel comfortable and stress-free, looking at the casino as a playground.
By analyzing how casinos interiors can influence people, studies show that the gamblers are not as affected by loses and are eager to bet more when they surrounded by the beautiful furniture and luxury couches in a casino. This strategy was partially taken on by online casino software developers. We say somewhat, because, in a traditional casino, stimulus goes to all five senses, while in an online casino, developers can stimulate only the seeing and hearing senses of gamblers. This type of design is called skeuomorphic design, and its primary function is making people relate as much as they can to a real-life casino experience.
Online casino gamblers’ needs
Before jumping into the patterns, we will show that even if online casinos try to recreate a brick and mortar casino atmosphere, their users’ needs are different. A study conveyed in 2008 found that online casino gamblers have different needs compared to their fellow traditional gamblers. Firstly, online casino players find the lack of social interactions as a positive matter. Gambling from the comfort of their homes is something they emphasize on, and this is what actually brought them to the online casino environment. So, this is why we can say that the online casino design doesn’t fully part-take the aspect of real casinos. Online casino designs are meant to focus on the actual gaming experience rather than the social atmosphere.
If we look at any online casino website, first elements we see are gambling tables, chips, and online slots games covered in a rather dark theme. Topping it off with some coin and jackpot sound effects, are surely going to trigger any players mind and make them wish to start the gambling experience as soon as possible. After all, this is what gamblers are after, exciting gameplay and substantial winnings, and designers use this thing as their asset. On the same topic, if we look at the 2019 online casino software trends, we will see that more and more websites are focusing on developing the social side of their games. While the online gaming community has shared thoughts about these updates, it is crucial for every online casino designer to study the market first and find out what the gamers need and want.
Online Casino Design Patterns
As we mentioned earlier, online casino designs take the essential elements of a real casino and highlight them while avoiding the social aspect as much as possible. Because the industry is present on the World Wide Web for quite a while now, keeping up with the fast-paced technology, we can say that online casino designs gradually developed to what they are today. Let’s take a traditional design, for instance, and check out its patterns. The overall design template is dazzling, using a bright and popping color scheme with fluorescent color shades predominantly. The animations that use lighting elements are as well very vivid, capturing the visitor’s attention. Moving on the gameplay, designers recreate the feeling of a real casino table as if other gamblers are playing too, but they are just secondary characters shifting the attention to the player.
Focus on the player
Online casino players prefer being alone, and they like the social lack of platforms; therefore, developers enhanced this feature. During the players’ hand, the screen brightness severely decreases, allowing the gambler to focus on his decision. Besides, dimming the lights creates a suspense atmosphere, rushing the players’ adrenaline and boosting his confidence. Other features found in first-generation online casinos are audio feedback elements like jingles of coins and chips and specific music according to game situations. On a more recent note, online casino designs include 3D visualizations, for example, a real dealer animation.
Nowadays, online casinos evolve from every point of view, be it technical or design related. Online casino software developers know that offering a great experience means offering top-notch design combined with high-quality technology. Online casino designs receive help from other features in the process of attracting players. For example, when using a lot of 3D animations on the website, convenient navigation and a high internet connection are needed. Also, the software has to provide proper security, because glitches and hold-ups affect the design in the first place. They annoy the players and cause them to lose their patience. In a competitive world like the online casino world, developers always need to be one step ahead of the game. Providing an enjoyable gaming experience comes with useful technical features and modern design templates. For any success aspiring online casino website, the following features are essential.
Color Diversity
A proper online casino design uses a wide range of color shades for its primary domain and monochrome templates for other features. Mixing the two directs the players to focus on the website. For example, the live slots category of an online casino is highlighted with bright colors because it has the most popular games and the most potential on the website. This attracts the player enough to click and explore the game palette. Further on, the slot game with the biggest payout has a monochrome design pattern to it, but blinking lights enhance it. Because it is different, it stimulates the gamblers curiosity which will soon find out that this game holds the highest jackpot so he will give it a try. While this is just an example, the color schemes used for highlighting certain features differ from site to site. However, the strategy behind them is the same.
Players’ view on colors
This strategy works with senses that take a toll on the players’ psychological behavior but also on brain stimulus. The color scheme relies on color psychology, so no wonder that we often see purple, red, and orange features in online casinos. Purple stimulates wealth and mystery; red is the color of excitement while orange increases enthusiasm and attention. All of the traits mentioned earlier are what a gambler commonly feels when playing an online casino game. The brain, more precisely neurons, is stimulated by bright lights, increasing the players’ focus, attention, and short-period memory. Online casino designers use lighting for emphasizing the games, payouts, bonuses, and other elements relating to the games. On the main website page, bright lights accentuate online casino special offers, promotions, game categories, or ads.
It is important to mention that online casinos and software developers promote moderate gaming and care about their customers’ health and wellbeing. The public eye targets the online gaming industry daily accusing it of causing addiction and other such problems. Online casino designs have a psychological background meant to attract players and offer incredible experiences. However, they do respect health regulations and inform their clients about health policies and preventions.
Slide Shows
Slide shows and 3D animations, in general, are very important tools in any online casino design template. Most developers use the slide shows for promoting the page and informing the players about special offers.For example, the highest jackpots available or any other news on the platform. Topic tuning mechanisms are also part of this pattern category and appear more often in online casinos.
High Resolutions
When we are talking about high-resolution, we are expecting clear outstanding images, top definition videos and animations and overall a general layout quality. The players expect the same thing from the gaming platforms, and this feature weighs in a lot when it comes to website reviewing. High-resolution images in large formats that don’t lose quality as the page loads is a sign of investment in design and software. If the online casino ensures high quality, high resolutions, and high definition elements on the platform, the players consider it professional. There is nothing more important than gaining gamblers trust and appreciation as an online casino. A happy customer is a loyal customer, and the design does that for the business owner if done well.
Design and Games
Online casino designs can increase games popularity and traffic. As a reminder, there is more to design than color schemes and graphics. Design matters also mean placement matters, and ingeniously placing certain games or website content on the page, does a lot in the players’ eyes. Every online casino has a main page that acts as a lobby. Placing the game variety right in the lobby offers comfort and reliability to the player, but it also speeds up the gaming process. Also, designers usually use dark background colors allowing users to focus on the content they are looking for.
Placing up a slide show with the current overall winnings or a winners list is another good idea because it stimulates the players’ competitive spirit. Gamblers love a good motivation, and a winnings slide show is one of the best options for that. Players are having a good time and explore what it has to offer while business owners sit back and enjoy their profits rising.
Bonuses
Every person involved in the online casino phenomenon knows that bonuses are one of the players’ favorite things. Free spins, bonus rounds, or bonus games that increase the winning chances are always welcome, and players always make sure they don’t miss any. At this point, online casino software designers jump in and acquire impressive sound effects to the game bonuses. Sound effects are significant in every game, and knowing how to link them to other features can go a long way. For example, if a free spin bonus comes with a quality cheering sound effect that the player relates to, it will increase the excitement provided by the game.
After the game ends, the gambler will remember the sound effect; therefore, the bonus and the excellent gaming experience, so the chances to return and play again are pretty high. However, music is beneficial no matter the industry or spectrum we are referring to. In online casinos, music is essential as well. Most online casinos provide different music features depending on the page the players are on. In the lobby, gamblers might hear discrete, ambient sounds meant to make them feel good and enjoy the game browsing process. Once players get into game mode, the music shifts, and it is more upbeat and louder, stimulating excitement and euphoria.
Information
Online casino design purpose is to inform the players as well. Why is the design responsible for this issue? Because information content on online casinos is critical, therefore, every player needs to see it. Explanations about the services and one time promotions are appear as highlights or under their own website setting. But some information pops up on the gambler’s device screens. It does this action to draw attention and awareness of the online casino customers of different policies or regulations. For example, when entering an online casino website, all players see a pop-up text box regarding national law regulations, age requirements, and internal policy.
The industry obeys laws and regulations, and most businesses work with real money. On top of this, not all online casinos have reinforced security, so hackers and fraudsters are still threatening the gamblers experience. A good design template takes account of these matters and makes them stand out on the website. Keeping the players safe and informed is what every online casino should do if it wants to gain popularity.
Popular Templates
Online casino software developers provide pre-established design templates. These frameworks are already built-in but allow specific design changes. Most popular models are WordPress, Monte Carlo, and Poker Dice. They are easy to use, available any time and accessible for a start-up online casinos.
Conclusion
Online casino design is vital for any online casino business. Through its different patterns, the design attracts the gambling audience, and if it is high-quality, players will surely remember the website and come back again. Smart animations, high-resolution images, and excellent graphics followed by impressive sound effects are just a few design patterns able to stimulate a player’s attention and drive to win the supreme jackpot. Industry is continuously developing, so all online casino fanatics are waiting for updates and are curious what the future holds in store for them.
About SkillMine Games
SkillMine Games is an online casino software developer that also provides effective service solutions for any entrepreneur interested in opening a business in the spectrum. We specialize in the state-of-the-art 3D casino games, so when talking about design, our company is one of the best in the game. SkillMine Games present innovative solutions at affordable prices, striving to offer the best products on the market. We know the importance of design in online casinos; therefore, we are eager to assist you and provide our help in the best way we can.
