Here we are, 18 years into the new millennium.
At the start of each new year, it’s great to take a minute and look back on how things have changed. In web design and digital marketing, trends evolve at lightning speed. It’s always surprising to see how much has changed in just 365 days.
We are constantly adapting to changes in technology and consumer priorities. Always learning what markets want out of the user experience and challenging ourselves to rise to the occasion.
Web development is a creative field. We like to take what’s new and trendy and add something new that elevates it beyond our customer’s expectations. If you’ve grown tired of basic advice on web design and are ready to make 2018 your year, we know the trends that top successful web designers have their finger on. Here are just a few.
The Rise of Illustrations
For as long as most of us can remember, photography has taken center stage on most web pages. From smiling faces to product photography painstakingly shot from just the right angle, we’ve used pictures to say a thousand words, and more.
In 2018, expect to see something a little different.
Yes, imagery remains key, but we’re not seeing just photographs anymore. Illustrations have infiltrated web design, and we’re loving how it looks.
Let’s start with some of the more practical reasons that illustrations are popular web design elements this year. First, who hasn’t had enough of boring stock photography?
We know that custom photography isn’t always in the budget, so you do what many other businesses do. You turn to stock photography. We’re not here to bash stock photos as they have their uses. There’s also some amazing artists out there making their work accessible for anyone to use. But, to be honest, sometimes stock photography falls flat.
Boring and flat are not words you want used to describe your webpage.
Illustrations add a quirky and unique element to web design. They make pages look more personal and more purposeful, two things your customers are going to love seeing.
Use of Animations and Interaction
What’s one thing that has remained relatively consistent through the years of advancement in web design? Pages have mostly remained static.
Sure, there’s been the occasional renegade that played around with an interactive site, but for the most part, the only interaction has been the navigation bar and CTAs.
Now, we’re seeing a strong push for a different experience that engages and encourages interaction. This is being accomplished using interactive elements and animations.
Think about animations that move along the page, or scroll over elements that bring pages to life. In fact, 88 percent of marketers say that interactive content differentiates them from their competitors. Basically, audiences eat up interactive content, whether it’s on social media or your web page. This year, expect to see a strong focus on driving engagement with animations and interactions.
Simple Gets Bold
Minimalism in web design has been popular for a while now. There is something undeniably appealing about a clean, well thought out landscape. It gives the visitor room to breathe and absorb your message.
The problem is that minimalism can get boring real fast, especially when all web design starts to look alike.
If you love a clean look for your site, we have great news for you. Simple and minimalist isn’t going anywhere, but we can expect it to look a little different with the addition of more color.
Instead of the standard white background with faded images and clean lined text where everything seems to blend together, we’re going to see pops of color that bring life to minimalist designs without taking away from the simplicity.
This is the year of the dynamic color scheme. We’ll see colors usage that steps outside of the box and breathes new life into safe, and let’s be honest, sometimes stale, neutral color schemes.
Utilizing Brutalism and Free Form Design
On the opposite end of clean and minimalist design, we have brutalism.
Sounds intimidating, right? Don’t worry, it isn’t.
In this case, brutalism is another word for raw. When it comes to web design, this translates into designs that look a little more unpolished. It isn’t always pretty, and it doesn’t always make sense.
So, why are we seeing more of it?
Because it’s refreshing and interesting in a retro sort of way.
There are multiple ways to do brutalism. You can accomplish the look through a relatively clean page, but filled with nothing but text, which can be reminiscent of a 1980s computer screen. It can also be achieved through blocks of color that clash or typography that is just a little too bold.
Not every business can successfully use brutalism in their web design. It depends entirely on your audience. But, for those that can, brutalism is going to be huge this year.
Video Continues to be Hot
Video has been on the list of web design trends for a few years now. It’s nothing new, but it isn’t going anywhere. In fact, even more businesses are catching onto the impact that video can make and we’re finally going to see more web pages include this powerful element.
Almost 50 percent of internet users look for video on a product or service before visiting a store, and even more choose video over text about the same subject when given a chance.
Video is a powerful way to get visitors to really listen to what you’re telling them about your brand. If you’re not using video on your web pages this year, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to connect with your audience.
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to look at your web design and think about what you could be doing better. We can help you with web design that’s worthy of attaching your brand and business to. Contact the qualified team at Source Web Solutions today and have a ballpark quote within 24 hours. Now’s the time to get started and we’re here to help.