Trends in web design are just the same as trends in any other medium – they change all the time, some lasting only months whilst others remaining the norm for years. If you’re designing or redesigning a website, you have a crucial choice to make. Do you jump aboard the hottest new design trend, or do you play it safe and keep it classic in the hope of future-proofing your website if trends change? The danger with the latter is that your website can soon look outdated, so you may need to at least bear new trends in mind when starting your redesign.
To help you get a handle on what to embrace and what to ignore, here are a few pointers on the web design trends to adopt or drop.
Which new web design trends should you adopt?
- You should adopt new web design trends such as animation and transition, webgraphics, and a focus on micro-interactions. Animation and transition have become more sophisticated thanks to improvements in Javascript, HTML5, and CSS, allowing for seamless, filmic-style transitions and entertaining users during load times. Web-based interactive infographics, or webgraphics, can summarize and deliver information engagingly, fitting lots of content in a user-friendly way. Focusing on micro-interactions, like making tasks easier for visitors (registering, sharing content, finding information), creates a more cohesive experience and helps future-proof your website.
Which web design trends should you ditch?
- You should ditch web design trends such as using stock photos, designing for desktop only, and floating menu bars. Using stock photos is often unnecessary now with easy photo editing tools and smartphone cameras. Designing for desktop only is a mistake as mobile optimization is crucial for future internet access. Floating menu bars annoy visitors and block content, so they should be avoided.
Which web design trends do you think are dead, and which have you decided to embrace when designing your site? We’d love to hear your thoughts.