🔄 Evolution of Web Design: From Convergence to Divergence

Website design has changed significantly over the years, following technological innovations and the evolution of user needs. Websites were once designed so that visitors primarily landed on the homepage, from which they would further explore the content. This approach was dominant and considered the standard because it was assumed that the user should first become familiar with the brand and basic information before reaching more detailed content.

However, the modern digital ecosystem requires a more flexible model – a model where any page of the site is the starting page. We call this concept, which we introduced into the practice of Skenderovic Consultants, divergent design, because it allows users faster and more precise access to information, without the need for additional steps and navigation through complex menus.

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📊 Convergence: The Traditional Approach to Website Design

The former standard in website design was the convergent approach, which means that the entire site structure was designed so that visitors would be directed to the homepage, which functioned as the main entry point into the system.

How does the convergent model work?

• • The homepage is the central point of the entire site, and all paths lead to it.

 

• • Visitors are redirected to the homepage and search for content from there, often through multiple clicks.

 

• • Navigation is organized linearly, often through a hierarchical menu, where users must pass through multiple levels to reach specific information.

 

• • SEO strategies were focused predominantly on optimizing the homepage, while internal pages had less potential for attracting visitors.

 

• Pages within the site were often not sufficiently adapted for direct user arrival, as they were designed as secondary to the homepage.

This approach no longer meets the needs of modern users, who expect faster, more direct, and personalized access to information, often through various channels such as social media, search engines, and AI assistants.

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🌐 Divergence: The Contemporary Approach to Website Design

Modern websites are designed according to the divergent principle, which means that any page of the site is the starting page for the visitor. This approach recognizes that users do not exclusively enter the site through the homepage, but directly onto the pages that interest them – whether via search, social media, digital ads, referrals, QR codes, or other channels that direct users to specific content.

How does the divergent model work?

• • Every page is a potential homepage, as visitors arrive from various sources and expect relevant information immediately.

 

• • The site structure is decentralized – information is accessible from multiple entry points, which reduces the number of steps required for the user to find what they need.

 

• • The On-Page SEO strategy is optimized for all pages, as each page acts as an individual resource that can attract traffic.

 

• • Navigation is flexible and user-adapted, allowing them faster access to relevant content regardless of the entry point.

 

• UX (User Experience) design focuses on the user journey and adapting information to user needs, rather than on a fixed structure.

🔄 Key Advantages of the Divergent Approach

• • Faster Information Availability – visitors immediately reach the content they need, without unnecessary navigation.

 

• • Higher User Engagement – relevant information increases the chance of longer site retention and exploration of additional content.

 

• • Better Conversion – optimization of individual pages improves business results (sign-ups, contact, service booking, purchases).

 

• • SEO Advantage – every page is maximally optimized, increasing organic visibility and facilitating indexing by search engines.

 

• • Improved User Experience – instead of wandering, users gain direct access to the information they need, regardless of where they accessed the site.

 

• Greater Adaptation for Mobile Users – since users increasingly use mobile devices, the divergent approach allows for simpler and more intuitive searching.

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📈 Conclusion • The New Standard in Website Design

While convergence was once the basic principle of website design, the modern digital ecosystem demands a divergent approach, where every page is an entry point. This model allows for better site optimization, adapts to different user needs, and significantly improves the user experience.

💡 Homework • Pay Attention to Divergent Systems

Let’s learn through examples! Visit the following webpage from a computer and a mobile phone:
https://skenderovic.biz/en/contact/

1. 1. Visual Impression – review the webpage and note observations about formatting, element layout, and visual transitions.

 

1. 1. Content Impression – read the textual content and analyze its tone, style, and communication with visitors.

 

1. 1. Design and Text Message – reflect on what the visual and textual approach communicates.

 

1. Additional Research – visit other pages of the site, as well as the homepage, and analyze the consistency of the brand communication.

Write down your observations and analyze how divergent design changes the way we experience websites!

🧭 Your business can create well-being – if you allow it to think more freely

In a world that is fragile, chaotic, and full of uncertainty, we see hidden potential. We help your business become a place of stability, innovation, and growth.

Many businesses and institutions today are stagnating in the face of rapid change, feeling changes catch up to them, and opportunities slip away.

That’s why we’re here. To be a beacon in the chaos and to collectively discover the purpose that makes your business unstoppable.

🔥 Nebojša @ Skenderovic Consultants
Business design digital agency

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