Website design is a continuously evolving industry. What was cool 5 years ago may now appear to be something that has spawned from the middle ages and one can easily get stuck in a time warp if you aren’t looking out for new web design trends in the market.
Besides more functionality, websites are looking cleaner, crisper and more aesthetically appealing. While many websites saw funky, hip-looking colours and shadowing last year, this year designers are going for a less-is-more approach while still focusing on new resources and technology to make their designs stand out. Here are some of the noteworthy trends in the web design industry:
Interactive tools
Website applications are becoming smarter, enabling designers and developers to collaborate in order to give website visitors a more unique experience. On e-commerce sites, the products that the visitor was interested in last time they visited the site will be displayed when they come back, immediately drawing them into the site.
Looking global while staying local
In the past, it was mainly large brands that focused on providing podcasts, webinars, links to Twitter pages and more. Nowadays, web designers are including a range of social media icons on the website from the get-go and they are allocating spaces for YouTube videos and slide shows on normal pages for small clients as well. Clients, whether they run a business from home or they are part of a huge international organisation, are aware of how their websites can incite a feeling of trust and authority and they are expecting designers to give them all the tools they need to make them appear larger than life.
Imitating print
An exciting trend in the web design industry is the shift to magazine-looking blogs and websites. The influence of print design on webdesign has become apparent in the number of “blogazines”, where new blog posts have their own colour scheme and layout, similar to those of a magazine.