With the rise of a pandemic comes the need for businesses to create websites to stay afloat. This is where you can direct potential clients to check your products or services since the protocols limited business operations. If you have an e-commerce website, this is also the best platform where clients can buy what you offer. It’s similar to a physical shop wherein visiting means they already have all the information they need to use your products and services.
However, it’s essential to be updated with the web design trends. That way, you can provide the best user experience (UX) when they click on your site. Doing this will help you close sales, which is one of why businesses have websites.
Thus, below are some web design trends of 2021 you can apply:
1. Self-Selection Feature
Nowadays, users want to intuitively locate what they’re looking for upon opening your website. Self-selection allows users to do this as you can set filters to refine their searches. This eliminates the need to look through multiple pages of product catalogs.
On top of that, self-selection has various tools that offer different capabilities. One of which is allowing users to choose exactly where they fit. These tools give users the ability to address their specific pain points and needs.
In addition, you need to consider adding a call-to-action to administer the user’s journey further. This way, it’s easier for users to take action while also increasing their time on your site. What’s even better is it doesn’t need many development requisites to get an interactive self-selection tool up and going.
But keep in mind that these tools should be prompt and concise. Moreover, it must let the users know what they should expect upon clicking on them. You can also add visual elements such as GIFs, images, or even emojis that support the content you’re trying to get across. With such, it’s best to ask help from professionals such as Smartlydone.com and other web designers.
2. Voice Control
Modern users’ way of accessing information is ever-changing. From merely typing, users have moved towards a voice-activated interface. This allows them to make requests or ask questions by using their voice.
The nature of web design is transforming to make way for the popularity of voice assistants and chatbots. Although not all websites have voice access, it’s slowly becoming more popular, and it’s certainly not going away anytime soon. You can anticipate that websites with voice-activated search engines will take over those without the said feature in the near future. Thus, it’s better to stay on the trend than be left out. Besides, you’d want to make your customers’ lives easier, so adding a voice-control design can help.
3. Three-Dimensional Visuals
Currently, 3D elements and figures are becoming prevalent in the web development industry. The majority of three-dimensional content you now see on websites are videos. However, a new design style is on its way to change the current implementation of static 3D elements.
Recently, websites have been releasing 3D content that can be moved by hovering with the mouse or clicking the screen. This is especially useful for e-commerce websites since it allows customers to view the products from multiple angles. As a result, customers can get a better impression of the item, similar to shopping in physical stores. Also, customers can examine the product before buying.
If properly executed, this feature has a lot of potential in improving customer experience. After all, its primary goal is to enhance consumer responses. However, web designers and entrepreneurs need to be careful when integrating 3D visuals. It needs to blend correctly with the website’s overall content for it to provide good value. Otherwise, it might influence your customers to leave the site or forego the purchasing of products altogether.
Thus, working with an experienced developer pays a lot. They ensure that all elements of your websites work together. From coding the 3D interactive element and enabling end-users to access it, skilled web developers can accomplish all of that.
4. Animation To Tell Stories
Sharing beautiful stories with your viewers through a digital way is another major trend in web design. And you can do this with animation as it’s a great way to create visuals.
One form of animation is text styling. In UX, typography plays a vital role in engaging the viewers. A good copy doesn’t end with the words themselves. An excellent marketer knows how to manipulate text styles to complement the copy in a way that captures the viewer’s attention. The combination of powerful typography and a strong marketing copy may be the turning point for higher conversions.
Instead of merely scrolling through the website, customers will be more likely to stay on your page if you have a narrative that engages them mentally and visually.
5. Neumorphism
Neumorphism is an up-and-coming trend that came to life in 2019 in the web development community. Many designers are anticipating the growth of neumorphism in the following years. If you’re not familiar with neumorphism, it’s a design style wherein its focal point is the movement of light. This design uses eclectic drop shadows to portray playfulness topped with semi-flat colors, producing an unrefined 3D vibe.
In many ways, neumorphism is comparable to digital embossing or even debossing since web designers can bring back the experience that was taken away due to surfaces with flat designs since it contains many tangible elements. Because of that, it reinforces the connection between the viewer and the design that users can see.
Most importantly, integrating neumorphism provides a modern and fresh look to your business website. Meanwhile, it gives viewers a visual that’s close to life.
6. Minimalistic Design
Users might find a website that’s cluttered with too many designs unappealing. The preference for more minimalistic websites has grown recently, especially during the year 2020. As a result, many developers integrate a minimalist look on their sites. The goal of this design is to conserve space without compromising content. Often, you’ll see websites with navigation panels that are too cluttered but are no more helpful. As a result, it damages how the website looks.
Recently, hidden navigation panels that only appear when you hover your mouse are becoming a typical mediation against bloated panels. Such features enable users to take action when necessary but hide the action settings when it’s not needed. It’s intuitive enough for users to know where to go but also gives a cleaner look.
Another way to add this is to categorize products and items only to show a certain amount. This decreases the effects exhibiting at a time, lessening eyesore and helping customers find what they’re looking for easier.
7. Products With Digital Representation
Without a doubt, products serve as the heart and soul of each website, especially for e-commerce. Thus, the incorporation of physical products with digital interpretations is becoming trendy. Now, this can come in many variations depending on the product you’re selling.
One example is to have paint smudges across a page if you’re selling paint products. As a result, your physical products will appear like they’re integrated into your website, making the latter feel more organic.
8. Incorporating Various Media Experience
Since the internet offers a lot of things, users have been looking for an increasingly richer experience while browsing the web. Designers have been trying to keep up with this demand by putting multimedia experience in one website. This is done by incorporating various text, audio, video, and other visual elements into one site.
And doing this is vital as it stimulates all of the senses. The combination of typography, catchy phrases, beautifully shot videos, and audio elements all work together to make a user spend more time on your site. However, you must integrate them well to avoid affecting your site’s performance by doing the following:
- Keeping it clean and simple when combining audio and motion graphics elements. Too many graphic elements end up being distracting, especially for individuals who have cognitive disorders.
- Avoid using rendered images, and text should be created from HTML.
- Give users an option to play videos themselves and refrain from setting videos to play automatically.
- Utilize different media formats responsibly to make them effective.
- Include descriptions for media formats like videos and pictures. For caption, keep it concise. More complicated images, on the other hand, require more descriptive captions.
9. Utilize A Positive Visual Message
Many designers are now prioritizing the users’ overall well-being in developing websites to address the mental health issues caused by the pandemic. Therefore, many designs have been geared towards sending a happy and positive vibe and eliminating upsetting designs.
Many have transitioned to using color palettes that are lively and energetic to become friendlier and more approachable. This is true even for websites that are designed for medical services. Medical providers are looking to promote an optimistic culture from which patients and users can benefit.
Even if you’re not in the medical field, you can still incorporate the same design quality on your website. More users are drawn to approachable websites as opposed to those that seem too uptight. Additionally, heavy messages that often cause users to click away from a site can offer a more positive perspective. This allows you to let your message go across with the possibility of welcoming feedback from users.
10. Dark Mode Option
Dark mode for websites is also becoming a trend since 2020. From apps to other operating systems, the dark mode is now essential. As such, it’s also recommended to adapt it to your website. Its popularity is due to the comfort it provides to users during low lighting conditions or when outside the light hours. In addition, allowing users to choose this mode makes them feel in control, making them more satisfied.
Users also opt for this mode because it makes their battery life longer when using their mobile or laptop to browse your website. As for the trend, dark mode is also part of the retro fashion wherein people are becoming more interested in the 80s. Before, a dark mode was a necessity, but it’s now considered an optional feature.
Although not everyone is in a dark mode, many users still use this model. Thus, it’s safe to have this feature on your web design so that you can cater to more users.
11. Asymmetric Layouts
The website layout must be balanced because the layout forms the structure of your visuals and content. And traditionally, websites focus on symmetry as it thrives for stability and order. However, asymmetric layouts are now becoming more popular. It allows you to design what you want while making you more daring and dynamic.
When choosing this layout, it doesn’t mean your site won’t have balance. Even with asymmetry, you can still give a visual balance to your website. Do so by following these tips:
- Before arranging the composition, you need to consider the elements’ movement, color, and size. For color choices, you can go with the ones that have sharp contrasts like black and white. Or choose the ones that have less harmony and symmetry, which make them outside classic color combinations.
- You can also partner a heavy element with space, creating a sense of motion or weight. For instance, one side of the page may be full of texts while the other is empty. You can also block off one portion of the image, which is usually a viewable part. Do so by adding color or sidebars.
- Another common asymmetrical design is by pairing unlike elements like text and images. For instance, you can have a few words and a picture. However, the typeface or text must compliment the mood of the image.
Conclusion
By knowing these web design trends, you can make your business site at par with your competitors. If done well, you can even make it stand out from the rest. And most importantly, you can provide an overall satisfying user experience for your potential clients. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you try these trends.