Some of the biggest web design trends of recent years have included grid layouts, flat design and background videos. So which trends and technologies are emerging in 2016 that will change design as we know it? Plenty! In this article, we address some of the newest web design trends that will leave a huge impact on the way we create, design and absorb online information.
Let’s get started.
Card-Based Design
Card-based design is becoming bigger by the moment. It’s a smart design because it allows a lot of content to fit on different screen types and sizes. In the past, brands would have no choice but to try to fit content on the page in a way that was exciting but clean for the user. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always effective. A card-based design fixes this issue and looks clever for all audiences.
Giant-Sized Background Images
You’ve probably already seen plenty of this on some of your favorite websites. You land on their homepage – and BAM! – you are greeted by a huge background image that sets a subtle tone for the site. These background images are clean and minimal, and they work well with parallax effects and rich typography. Some of the brands to employ them so far include Apple and Google Nexus.
Vibrant Design
Bold graphics. Intentional typography. Vibrant colors. This is what you can expect to see more of in some of the newer design styles. And it works. In a world where there is a lot of competition, brands need to find ways to stand out without being obvious or intrusive. A vibrant design is an excellent way to achieve this while making users feel good about being on a site. More importantly, a vibrant design doesn’t replace the very basics of a good site, such as seamless navigation, fluid transitions and responsive pages.
Enhanced Responsive Design
Responsive design is the standard for most websites, but expect it to evolve in the near future. How will it change? For one, we’ll see responsive web pages going further to accommodate smaller screens like we see on the Apple Watch. Responsive designs are also going to be more important on native apps. We are moving closer to the web and native becoming one in the same, though we’re not quite there yet.
Isomorphic JavaScript
JavaScript frameworks can be helpful in terms of speed, but they come with a cost. In order to improve SEO, performance and maintainability, look for more web designers to utilize isomorphic JavaScript, particularly for websites that rely on JavaScript for their site infrastructure. Already, we’ve seen other sites like Twitter and Airbnb switch to this approach, and it’s worked out well for them.
More Demand for Privacy
People are becoming more particular about sharing their private information. And rightfully so. When users know that their information can be shared with third parties, they have to decide if it’s really worth it to take this chance when all they may getting in return is the ability to use a website, download an app or receive a newsletter. When asking for information, request only what’s necessary. And always include your privacy policy in an accessible location. Common practices for today, indeed, but expect them to become more so in the future.
Greater Sophistication
Design trends like flat design and responsive design are still relatively new, so don’t expect them to be replaced with something else just yet. We can expect them to become more sophisticated, however. As web designers play around with the latest trends, they learn how to make things more precise. For instance, we can expect to see flat designs with more sophisticated layouts and bigger, bolder typography.
Conclusion
Web design trends are always changing. Some are completely new, while others build on what’s already there. Though it can be exhausting to keep up with all of these changes, keep in mind that they make your website better for yourself and your users.
