If you are planning to either build a new website from scratch or give a needed update to your existing site, then it is important to know what sort of trends to look out for so that you can provide your visitors with a seamless and intuitive experience when they visit your site. This is not to say that you need to jump on every trend that has popped up across the internet, but that there are some fundamental design cues that you can incorporate into your own design.
Understanding and incorporating website design trends into your build is one of many steps that you will need to take in order to launch an effective website that captures valuable traffic, encourages conversions, and gives your visitors useful and engaging information that they will keep coming back for. Whether you offer a product, service, or something else, web users in the modern digital age are discerning and expect certain elements to be present across their entire web experience.
Dark Mode
Since being implemented on the iPhone in late 2018, many platforms and services have jumped on this bandwagon with enthusiasm. Dark mode provides users with a visually-appealing and simple design, while also easing the strain of a black-on-white contrast for night browsing and other low-light situations. Dark mode is available on most smartphones, as well as all of the major web browsers and even operating systems, so why not give your users the option to enjoy continuity with their own dark mode preferences when they visit your site?
Drop Shadows And Layers
Texture and layering provide depth to your website, and when different elements overlap or have a shadow to create the illusion that they are floating, it can create a new and interesting aspect of your website. These elements can all operate independently, which provides a user with a parallax experience without being too over the top. This is in line with other growing trends of 3D elements that are included in websites, such as hyper-realistic objects, while scaling back on the intensity and simply creating depth in your aesthetic.
White Space
White negative space used to frame different sections of a website is a highly-effective way to create hierarchy and separation while still appealing to the minimalist trends of modern web design. By using white space to create separation, you provide your users with an understandable navigation process without adding clunky or distracting frames or other page breaks.
Minimalist Design
Minimalist design goes far beyond white space on a website and appeals to a user’s need to have a simple experience that does not feel like it pulls their attention in multiple directions. Simplicity in design shows that you understand what your users want or need, and you want to help them reach the solution without needing to wade through the noise of an overly-designed site. With so much content coming from so many directions, a minimalist website can feel like shelter in a storm.
Creative Typography
In years past, consistent and unassuming typography was a non-negotiable in most customer- facing websites. However, as web design technology continues to advance, and new typography principles make their way into the web design world, we are seeing more and more use of creative typography that was once reserved for logos and other brand-specific design. Remember that taking creative liberties with your typography should be left to the design-centric elements of your site, so as to not put off your visitors with “artistic” informational content that can be difficult or frustrating to deal with. Discussing your vision with a web design company in Los Angeles may be a good place to start.