Web design trends show new and old elements; they are constantly evolving, both in aesthetic preferences and aesthetics designed to harness a viewer’s attention. Follow along to learn more about both types of current web design trends.
Design Trends: Superficial Design
Superficial design trends get audience attention and provide a pleasant viewing experience; they are focused on elements such as fonts, colors, and illustration.
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Return to vintage typography
Old-school serif fonts (cue Times New Roman) are making a comeback, and it’s totally inspired. For nearly a decade, we’ve trained our eyes to read sans serif and convinced our marketing peers that foot-less fonts are the superior digital imprint, but new resolution capacities make serif fonts the go-to on mobile and desktop, giving readers everywhere a treat to vintage typography.
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Use gradients
Color gradients are everywhere because they’re an easy-to-add art to a page where design is lacking or to help a focal point stand out to the viewer. As you choose your gradients, stay within the color scheme of your brand aesthetic and psychology.
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Design in flat and 3D
Many brands are showcasing flat design content with the option to view an element as 3D or with an evolving 3D effect the longer a viewer stays on the page.
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Color vibrantly
Vibrant colors are at the top of the trend chart in 2019, infusing the online world with corals, blues, and neon hues.
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Increase animation on mobile
Animation is increasing by user preference, but also in favor of its easy resolution and loading times. As more consumers browse online, loading times significantly impact a site’s standing and audience retention. As videos can be large and slow to load on mobile, animated clips and short videos take precedence for the motion picture in 2019.
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Disrupt with brutalism
A surprising trend this year is a return to brutalism, an abrupt and basic design aesthetic between modernism and vintage that leaves viewers confused and intrigues their attention sufficiently to stay.
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Include more text
This year, we return to an emphasis on text in page headers, overriding the long-favored picture or video posted on a homepage to grasp audience attention.
Design Trends 2019: Emotional Design
Emotional design creates an emotional connection with the audience by holding their attention, engaging their minds, and establishing a relationship between the viewer and the brand.
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Visualize data
Data is difficult for anyone to conceptualize, which is why data visualization is essential to present complex information to your audience.
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Standardize voice search
Voice search and command is increasingly common, so websites now look for ways to allow viewers to interact with their website through voice.
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Focus writing on user design
Every bit of writing should be tailored to the audience’s experience on the page — why are they here? Where are they going? Why should they be listening? Keep writing precise and concise info if you want to keep your readers reading.
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Evoke emotion through content
Inducing an emotional reaction or connection with users can be done through photography, videography, posed questions, interviews, and creative content prompts. When a user feels an emotion by viewing your content (fear, joy, anger, laughter), a connection is created.
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Animate on purpose
Animation is growing in popularity; as it becomes mainstream, it gets scrutinized and viewers expect that each element of animation is purposeful.
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Bring viewers in through surrealism
Surreal and abstract designs allow each member of your diverse audience to place themselves within the context of the content you present, and thus, establish a perspective from your brand, from the inside instead of out.
Hiring a professional website design team is the best way to create a website that harmonizes your brand identity and messaging while capitalizing on the latest trends in user design and search optimization.
Get in touch with our experts at Executive Digital to revamp your site design in 2019 and reap the benefits of a fresh new online look.
