Happy New Year everyone! 2014 has gone by quickly, and while the New Year has just begun, speculations of trends in the web design world have already begun. Here’s our list of what we expect to be the top trends dominating the world of web design this year.
More Scrolling: Mobile users seem to dictate a lot of trends in design, a notorious one being responsive web design. One of the main complaints users have with websites on mobile it that they take too long to load on their devices. By removing links on pages and implementing everything in one place, loading time decreases. In this regard, website navigation is transitioning from clicking to scrolling. And users prefer it: 76% of website visitors scroll on web pages. It is easier for them to find content on one page. Because of this trend, you will begin to see more websites become longer in length.
Hidden navigation menus: Hidden navigation menus are starting to become a trend in most websites. This has been around in web apps for mobile and tablet, but not so much for desktops. And no, it is not a tactic to confuse the visitor and make them stay longer on your page to figure things out. By hiding the navigation menu bar, visitors are forced to focus on the visual presented and are not distracted by other elements. It helps create a more clean, clear design on your site. This is helpful for a website’s homepage for instance, where you want to leave a lasting first impression on the visitor.
One page navigation: Visual storytelling is rising in popularity for its incredible way to convert users. And with people’s attention span reaching only 8 seconds, using images and other types of visuals to gain user’s attention are hotcakes. Single page designs are in-line with the idea of storytelling. By keeping written content to a minimum while expanding on the use of visuals, storytelling becomes more powerful. Not only that, but because everything is in one page, scrolling is necessary, a feature which is not only shown to convert users faster, but makes for a great way to tell a brand’s story.
Interactive Infographics: The popularity of infographics only further makes the case for us being visual beings. Because 90% of the information that is transmitted to our brains is visual, infographics proved to be a great way convey information and actually remember it. A new trend for 2015 is webgraphics, interactive infographics which basically do that – interact with the user. By allowing the user to interact with the information presented, they are prone to be more interested with the information itself, and most importantly, remember it.
High-quality, customized images: This is hardly a new trend, but large images seem to stay. Images will continue to reign this year, but only if they are customized and professional-looking. Not only are digital marketers interested in pushing visual content marketing saying so, but backed up by statistics. 40% of consumers are more likely to engage with brands that use high quality professional images and photography on their websites. By using customized images, you give your brand a unique, professional look and step away from having to take pictures off the internet for your site. While not everyone is a designer, you can ask your web design or marketing team whether they have these services. We for example, include customized images in our content marketing plans.
Flat design: This was a rising trend in 2014 but signs show that this type of design will still dominate this year. As a response to design that tried to ‘wow’ the viewer with flash and other elements, flat design arose. Microsoft was one of the first to use this with their interface. Flat design is minimalist in approach with bright colors, two-dimensional illustrations to give the viewer an impression of a clean design and open space. Its simplified style allows it to work seamlessly with responsive web design by reducing load times on mobile phones.
Typography: Hand in hand with large background images, typography is going to dominate 2015. The need to stand out from the rest has pushed for this trend, and this will only mean typography will get more versatile, responsive and functional in the future. A unique typography is yet another way to differentiate your website without having to do too much. Many websites have already begun to play with this trend, in terms of different fonts and sizes. For example, a dominating trend last year was the use of large fonts over image backgrounds. This helped focus a message, but also dictated reading sequence.
As 2015 begins, it is important to know what’s in for web design. Most trends point to a cleaner, simpler design that is mobile-user focused. If your website is in need for an upgrade this year, check out our web design plans. Our plans start as low as $19/mo for web design. Picking up on a point mentioned previously, if you are looking for help in creating high quality photography, we can help. Included in our plans in the digital marketing realm, we make high-quality photographs and images for your business.
