The Future of Web Design: What You Need to Know!
The web design industry is ever-changing. New trends, techniques, and tools continue to emerge, which makes staying on top of the latest practices a challenge for designers. However, this constant evolution helps us stay motivated as we explore new ideas and concepts in our field. The visual landscape of the internet is always shifting, but some trends tend to stick around for longer than others. Luckily - for you - many of the emerging ideas in web design are beneficial for users and tend to be here to stay. To help you prepare for what comes next, we’ve compiled a list of the most prominent upcoming trends in web design. Each section includes details about why these ideas are becoming more common as well as examples of sites that have implemented them well. Read on to see what the future holds.
Responsive Design Will Be Even More Important
One of the oldest web design trends is also one of the most important - responsive design. This technique is used to create a single design that responds to different screen sizes, adapting to different devices and viewports as needed. This allows designers to create one cohesive experience for their users, rather than having to create multiple versions for different browsers. As responsive design has been around for so long, it’s become an important part of many designers’ workflows. However, as the internet evolves, it’s becoming increasingly important. With voice-assistant devices like Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa becoming increasingly popular, it’s important for designers to create content that is optimized for these new and smaller devices. One of the best ways to prepare for this shift is to use a dynamic design system. This ensures that your work is more adaptable and can be reused across different devices.
## Endless Scrolling Is Here to Stay
If you’ve ever browsed any of your favorite websites, you might notice that some of them appear to have no end. Endless scrolling is a design technique that allows for infinite content, with new pages loading as you reach the bottom of the screen. This trend was first noticed in Asian websites and apps and has since made its way to the West, with many western websites using it as well.
There are a few benefits to this approach. One of the most prominent is that it helps reduce the bounce rate of your site. When a user gets to the bottom of the page and has to click again to continue reading, many decide to leave your site altogether. With endless scrolling, users never hit a stopping point. Instead, they’re able to keep scrolling through your content until they’re done reading. This is a great way to keep users on your site longer and encourage them to explore your content.
Endless scrolling is also a trend that’s been integrated with responsive design. When sites use a responsive layout, they are able to load new content as users scroll down the page. This gives them the same experience across all devices, but with the added benefit of never-ending content.
Video Content Will Become Even More Prominent
As video content becomes even more prominent, we’re seeing an increase in new tools and features to make designing video-based websites more accessible. In terms of design, motion graphics and video are a fun way to bring some personality to your site’s design. They can be used in a few different ways: as an opener to your website; as part of your branding on the homepage; or as a call-to-action to action on your homepage.
One of the most popular ways to incorporate video is to use it as a homepage opener. This can help engage your users right when they arrive on your site, giving them a brief introduction to your company and services. You can either use pre-recorded videos or create a custom opener using animated GIFs.
You can also use video to help brand your website. This could be by adding it to your logo, using it in your design elements, or using it as part of a background for your site. The possibilities are endless, but make sure to use it in a way that doesn’t make your site feel too cluttered. And remember: don’t use auto play!
Finally, you can use video as a call-to-action to get your visitors excited about your product or service. This is typically done at the end of your page, but you can also use it as a homepage opener. Just make sure that your video is short and to the point; you don’t want it to go on for longer than 10 seconds.
Flat Design Will Continue to Grow in Popularity
Flat design has been a prevalent trend in web design for the past few years, and it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. With the rise of voice-activated devices, flat design makes sense as it’s easy to read and doesn’t rely on imagery. Flat design is typically characterized by minimalism, a focus on clean lines, and the use of muted and neutral colors. Designers need to remember that, even though it’s called flat design, that doesn’t mean you can’t use any depth in your work. Depth can help draw your readers’ eyes to the right parts of a design, which is important to remember if you’re creating something for a screen reader. To create a sense of dimension, you can use shadows, gradients, or texture in your design.
When you’re designing with flat design in mind, it’s important to keep your design simple. You don’t want there to be too many colors or designs competing for your readers’ attention. Instead, keep your design consistent across your website with a limited color palette and simple visual elements. By using simple design elements, you can create a professional-looking website without relying on imagery.
Virtual Reality Is Becoming a Core Focus for Designers
Virtual reality has been around for many years, but only recently has it become a core focus for designers. This is large because affordable VR headsets are being made available to consumers. While VR has typically been used in a marketing capacity, many designers are now incorporating it into their websites. VR experiences can be used in a variety of ways, including as a new way to engage with your products or to provide information about your company.
When you’re designing your VR experience, it’s important to think about how you’re going to engage your users. If you’re creating a tour of your office, for example, you don’t want your users to be standing around bored. Instead, incorporate interactivity wherever you can, whether that be asking your readers to click on something, or clicking on something themselves.
Summary
As the internet evolves, it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends in web design. Luckily, many of the emerging ideas in web design are beneficial for users and tend to be here to stay.
One of the oldest web design trends is also one of the most important: responsive design. This technique is used to create a single design that responds to different screen sizes, adapting to different devices and viewports as needed. Endless scrolling has also made a comeback, allowing designers to create infinite content without having to end the page. Finally, virtual reality is becoming a new way to design websites, allowing you to create interactive experiences for your readers.
