Modern trends for Website Design
This year we’ve seen a number of trends come into play and we’ve taken a moment to look at some of the more impactful elements that can assist you and your team with your web design / development projects.
Semi-Flat Design
3D is still one of the common trends when it comes to modern web design. It creates shadows that are supposed to be more attractive. However, the latest trends show that people are switching back to a semi-flat design and a good example is Apple in 2013.
Why is it beneficial?
Flat and semi-flat designs assist a visitor to understand your goal or message much faster. This is because there are minimal distractions from the design itself and other things such as shadows. It also requires lesser space and loads much faster. This is critical to the modern consumer who seems to have less time to deeply peruse a website and its contents.
Large and Receptive Hero Images
Generally, websites focused on social buttons and CTA. The key here is that we want to focus on the 3 – 5 items that make the site useful / profitable. Eliminating the slider and giving the user 1 key visual with “Easy Buttons” to get them were they need to go is the best for lead generation.
Why is it beneficial?
Gone is the time when the customer accessed the website via the desktop PC. Nowadays, the will visit it via tablets, smartphones, laptops, netbook and much more. And since images play a critical role, it is becoming more effective to use an image as the main medium for its visual effects.
You should also make certain the images are receptive for the best user experience. Users should still get the same message whether looking at product or background images.
Large and Exclusive Typography
More and more companies are realizing that moving away from the fonts they normally use and embracing larger ones is having a positive impact. It is also becoming common for the websites to feature a unique font, which makes it more noticeable and stand out from the crowd. A good example is The New Yorker, which switched to Adobe Caslon Pro. Be Bold. Say what you need in 5 – 7 words for any headline and you’ll be in good shape.
Why is it beneficial?
Typography is what guides a user across the website, on the different pages. It normally has the same design and visitors and users will definitely notice it.
The kind of typography you use tells the user who you are and what you aim to offer. Is it information, entertainment, or functionality? Are you laidback or serious? Is the site formal or informal? Answers to such questions will be found in the typography.
It is essential to pick fonts that are compatible with common computers and browsers to avoid awkwardness.
Background Videos
Incorporating videos in the background adds a lot of value and page on the page without taking too much space. By automatically playing in the background, it will be able to tell a story or explain why your business is all about.
Why is it beneficial?
Background videos aim to attract customers in the shortest time possible. Unlike texts, which require a customer to read the contents before actually understanding what you are up to, and background videos will catch their attention from the word go.
Studies show that our brains process videos up to 60,000 times faster than text. This means that a good one can be equated to a single line of text. It is also known that people do not like long or blocks of texts and many will move to the next page before finishing reading.
Giant Product Images
If you gave closely looked at B2B websites, you have probably noticed that they are displaying giant product images instead of the smaller ones. In so doing, they are able to highlight the most important features of the product. You can easily zoom in on a specific point without leaving the page.
Why is it beneficial?
A large product image assists a designer to focus on the main areas of concern. This means that fewer pages or space will be needs to further explain a product. Also, a consumer doesn’t need to leave the page for better understanding.
Another advantage is that it minimizes the text on the page and thus reducing the clutter. A prospective consumer simply needs to scroll the mouse or touchpad at different points to fully understand the product. And since it’s bigger, then he/she can get the fine details.
Hamburger/Hidden Menus
One of the trends in many website designs is to feature a long menu on its page. This allows you to easily and quickly find what you need. However, this design takes up quite a substantial amount of screen space that would have otherwise been used for something more valuable.
A better alternative is using the hamburger, also known as a hidden menu. It is referred to as “hamburger” because of the 3-line stacking that resembles a hamburger. This can be seen in Google Chrome, where it lists the contents on the right side of the page
Why is it beneficial?
It creates a clear and direct path to the contents and thus saving the visitor valuable time. It also requires little screen pace which allows you to place more valuable space. By getting rid of the busy navigation, the user experience becomes better.
Card Design
The popularity of cards in B2B and B2C websites has risen thanks to the growth of Pinterest. The fascination surrounding cards is forcing marketing and designers to incorporate them into a website as part of reaching the masses. The individual cards not only make the website more appealing but also help to disseminate the information faster. This is because they offer bite-sized information, which is easier to consume.
By splitting the contents into small bits and laying it individually, a consumer is able to identify what suits him/her best and focus on a particular section. This strategy also helps to make the website less cluttered and saving space.
Why is it beneficial?
Cards deliver information in a clearer and better manner in comparison to other formats. This is due to the limited information and the appealing nature. Designing individual cards is also easier and this helps to focus on a specific goal. Nevertheless, you should make certain the cards are responsive and they accordingly adapt to the website or design.
Short Feature/Product Videos
Truth is that many people prefer watching videos to reading texts. Data from the Inc. magazine indicates that 92% of customers in B2B and 43% of the B2C customers prefer watching online videos to other methods. They do so to research a particular product or service. With such information, it makes senses to include more videos on the website to take advantage of the growing market.
The companies use features videos, product videos as well as background videos in the modern web design. And since they are very short, a consumer will more than likely watch all of it.
Why is it beneficial?
Human beings love visual contents and will prefer videos to blocks of text. The short videos are a few minutes long and the likelihood of a consumer not watching the entire video because of its length is unlikely. Although brief, the videos do a great job of summarizing the contents.
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