2018 Web Design Trends
Just as fashion trends, hairstyles and music genres have evolved, web design is not a stranger to change. Each year designers amend their layouts to fit the trends and appeal to a larger audience. Since 2018 is right around the corner, we thought there’d be no greater time than to introduce to top web design trends to look out for.
Minimalism
The trend of a clean, uninterrupted website is nothing new. However, in 2018, it seems like it will be making a comeback with an even greater presence. The use of minimalistic web designs has been on the rise for a few years, but this year designers are going the extra mile.
Layouts are becoming simpler and designers are starting to use their creativity through typography and formatting rather than over the top web design. A lot of this simplicity stems from the fact that most Internet browsing is done on mobile phones. With a more minimalistic layout, websites can load faster and provide a more engaging experience. When you open a website filled with high quality images, it loads slowly and people often get frustrated with waiting. The minimalistic approach takes away this clutter and allows users to focus on important content.
Expressive Typography
One of the ways that ways that designers supplement their minimalistic style is by using a bolder, more expressive form of typography. This allows them to unleash their creativity without large, slow loading images. While it doesn’t sound all too enticing, typography can actually have a huge affect on how the web design turns out.
Utilizing creative typography broadens the opportunity to connect with users, even on a subconscious level. This is one of the reasons that certain companies go as far as developing their own font. As they grow in popularity, their branded typography will subconsciously begin to remind users of their company. It is an extremely powerful tool if used correctly. Web designers are even going as far as beginning to animate typography.
Animation
Animation has always been around, but with the advancing technology websites can now handle it much more efficiently. While using too much animation on a given site can be over the top, some web designers are starting to integrate it strategically.
One of these ways is by designing animated logos. It is an extremely modern move and can help portray more meaning for your users now while eliciting a stronger recall in the future. Essentially, it is a way to create stronger brand awareness than simple, un-moving logos.
Another way that animation is being utilized in web design is through scroll-triggered animation. Rather than the fun, mindless animation that has been around for years, scroll-triggered animation now comes forth with intent. It can be used to preview your products and increase customer engagement and conversion. It pushes people to continue browsing your site while simultaneously educating them. It is also appealing because it is a much smoother transition than using menu bars or external links to navigate a site. Prepare for a majority of websites making this transition in 2018.
Progressive Web Apps
It’s no secret that people love apps and prefer them to web browsing. This is because of the seamless transitions and increase mobile functionality of apps. In 2018, prepare to see a greater number of websites that run more like apps. Web designers and developers have begun to implement a blend, called Progressive Web Apps, which uses the best of both worlds.
Virtual Reality
It seems like all anyone can talk about these days is virtual reality. The web design trends for 2018 are no different. With 360 videos, cameras and maps all around us we look forward to this year being an immersive and interactive year for web design.
Higher Personalization
One thing that seems to either scare people or intrigue them is the ability of logarithms to show a user what they personally enjoy. This happens all the time on Facebook and other social media sites, but it will start to be implemented into web design as well. Using past web behaviors and purchase history, websites will be able to show you what they think you’ll enjoy from the moment you enter the site.
Conclusion
With all of the new, evolving trends that are expected to rise in popularity it can be tough to keep up. Luckily, the first step always includes knowing what to expect and being ahead of the game. With this list of the most anticipated web design trends for 2018, we hope that we helped you get there. It’s going to be a great year for the Internet!