Each time I start a new website project, especially a brochure-type website, I always come back to the same desire: I want it to feel consistent.

Consistent, not in a strict, rigid way. More like when you walk into a space, and you immediately feel that everything is in its place. Nothing is fighting for attention. Nothing looks like it was added “just because”. Everything belongs.

So I start with color. I don’t try to be creative right away. I don’t try to impress. I just balance. The 60–30–10 rule helps me do that. It gives me a simple frame, and inside that frame, the website starts to make sense visually. The eye knows where to rest. The eye knows what to follow. And without realizing it, the person browsing can instantly spot what matters.

Then I go to spacing: margin and padding. It sounds basic, but it’s one of those things that quietly changes the entire feeling of a website. Spacing gives air. It gives respect to what is on the page. It avoids the “everything is glued together” look. Whether it’s text, buttons, or sections, the space around elements makes the experience smoother, almost like the page is breathing.

And I always think about cards. I don’t forget them, because they’re so useful. Features, services, blog previews. Cards give structure without forcing me to overthink everything. What I love is the repetition: a title, a short excerpt, sometimes an image, then a button or a link. The format repeats, and that repetition creates cohesion. It’s not boring repetition. It’s a reassuring repetition.

With all of this, something happens: I’m no longer “guessing” my way through the project. Before I even start building the website itself, I already see the blocks. I already know what needs to exist, and how it will repeat across pages. I put a simple system in place, and it becomes a foundation I can rely on. It’s not reserved for experts. Even someone who is starting as a website builder can implement this and feel the difference immediately.

Because when a work looks consistent, it creates trust. It shows clarity. It shows care. It shows expertise without having to say “I’m an expert”. The UX feels smoother, the brand impression becomes stronger, and the whole website feels more credible.

What’s funny is that I haven’t even introduced creativity yet. This is still the part before the styling, before the special touches, before the “wow effect”. This is the part that keeps creativity from becoming chaos. The part that protects the design from breaking apart when you add more content.

And that’s the biggest benefit: it makes everything easier later.

• If the website owner wants to add a new service, I don’t have to rebuild the whole structure.
• If they want a new page, it fits naturally.
• If they want to adjust a color, the change can cascade through the website without creating inconsistencies everywhere. The system holds.

So I start there. I always start there. Structure first. Consistency first. Then, once the base is strong… creativity feels free.