Any web design professional with a degree of integrity knows they can’t rest on their laurels. The industry and craft is permanently evolving and ever changing. It responds to tastes in other areas of design. Like fashion it’s responsive and like product design it needs to adapt to the needs of the target audience. Web design also needs to be memorable and it has to make users want to come back. Along with all these it also has to be compatible with current technologies.
Below we’ve picked out five new trends which all web design professionals should keep in mind for future projects.
Typography
Typography isn’t a new thing per se, it’s been used for emphasis for centuries and designers have used it to brilliant effect for years. Letters fill a space and our brains are desperate to combine letters to make words.
Typography in web design has to be tailored perfectly. The internet is basically a mass of text with other media thrown in and therefore to make an impact in typography you have to stand out. Many websites are now utilising oversized text to make their points stand out and you’ll find a huge amount of web design where bold is utilised regularly too. Bold typography also stands out if users are using a small screened device.
Minimalism
This has been on trend for a few years now but designers are finding new and exciting ways of making it seem brand new. It makes your design appear fresh and it has an immediate impact. Minimalist sites have the added bonus of never appearing dated and maintain a professional air. The message and content are the key to the website and the design focuses solely on these without unnecessary embellishments.
Detailed Illustrations
When we say detailed, we mean very, intricately detailed. It’s not necessarily brand new but it’s becoming more important. Web designers tend to use illustrations to add a different mood to their project, usually one that brings back memories of childhood. Retro and vintage themes are very popular at the moment and illustrations add a friendly, accessible atmosphere which is also comforting and different to the sleek, clean-cut nature of many modern designs.
Photo-Backgrounds
As web-accessible designs have become quicker in terms of load time, web designers can again be more creative – where the project merits it. Detailed images can be displayed more easily and therefore design is moving back towards bigger visuals. Using photographs as backgrounds has a powerful impact for many reasons. Viewers get the immediate impact of the image which makes a site more memorable and then a photograph is able to create a unique impression and can evoke the tone of the entire site. The photo-background also connects the website with something concrete – a place, an object or whatever the photograph shows.
Circles
It’s not the most obvious choice but circles have become a regular feature of many web designs. They’re a popular motif that, when utilised well, can be highly useful. The circle is the perfect shape for buttons and can be used to make a stand out point. A circle stands out in a world that’s packed full of square chunks of text and square images.
Web design trends are influenced by so many things that it’s important to be on the ball across the design industry. It’s also important to be aware of any important technological advances as they also have an impact on design. Trends at the moment are steeped in nostalgia and linked to concrete reality or design with a core message that is direct and easy to grasp. This won’t always be the case and keeping abreast of all trends and changes is key to success as a designer.
