Like any other digital industry, graphic design has seen constant changes in trends throughout the years. In order to make sure you're on top of the game, we have identified a selection of design techniques that we expect to make it to the trends in 2022!
Fonts and typography play one of the biggest parts of branding and graphic design. For many years, there has been a constant trend in sans serif fonts across several businesses. Due to such a high use of this font type, many businesses have returned to nostalgic roots. Because of this, we expect to see the return of more traditional, serif fonts. The meaning behind the typography appears elegant and sophisticated but also evokes a fun, nostalgic feel.
Funky illustrations and collages have made a huge appearance in 2021. Not only has this design element helped to add creativity to a brand, but it is also a great way to incorporate unique personalities to a website! Illustrations can also be used in a variety of different ways. From general webpage and social media images, to feature images on blog posts, combining this trend with the modern styles of web design will help to add fun and friendliness to your brand. Because of this, we expect to see several more businesses utilising this trend in 2022 and beyond!
Most businesses that you see today will feature geometric shapes within either their logo or typography. Giving a futuristic feel, this visually appealing trend has become increasingly popular and helps to enhance marketing visuals across platforms. This is mainly because of their clean, simple and minimalistic features.
Tying in to the trend of illustrations, hand drawn elements can help to bring another level of authenticity and uniqueness to your brand. Updating the standard stock images on your website with more personal and creative elements will also help to bring attention to your skills and expertise.
Having an attractive background on your website can not only help to intrigue potential clients, but it can also impact the users experience on your platform. Choosing the right background colour and elements plays a huge part in the readability of your content as well as the user journey across your site.
That is why it is important to create a background that isn't too busy as this can distract users from what matters more, like your products or services!
From black and white to bold colours and patterns, this trend has seen a constant change through the years. In 2022, most companies are focusing on incorporating neon colours to their branding. These striking colours are a great way for your business to stand out from competitors. The contrasting factor of these bright background colours to other elements on your website will also make your content more legible.
It may seem obvious but by increasing the font size of specific content on your website, you will be able to make a huge impact towards your audience. This trend will also help you stand out from competitors within your industry and is another way of adding personality to your brand designs.
Web design has shaped the way we see the internet. With only a few decades in production, why don't we look back at the history and growing evolution of this industry!
The first website was designed by Tim Berners-Lee in August 1991. Berners-Lee was also the creator of Hypertext Markup Language which played a huge part in the early stages of web design. One example being the '<table>' function. This was used in the early 90's as a way to organise information. Adding to his website, Berners-Lee also uploaded the first image online a year later.
As well as this, in 1992, the very first search engine launched. Albeit very difficult to the search engines we're used to today, ALIWEB was a webpage that organised links into categories. This platform also included the first pops of colour which was designed to make it easier for users to navigate through each category.
Images, graphics and other colour features soon began to feature across more websites during the mid 90s. This was also when the concept of web design and business goals really began to collaborate. Not only was this the beginning of landing pages and colourful 'contact us' buttons, but in 1994, the first web banner ad was created.
It wasn't until the late 90's that we began to see a real change in web design with developments that would truly impact the history of this industry.
JavaScript and CSS were a few examples of this as they really helped to add personality and excitement to websites across the internet. These tools gradually began to also improve the way users interacted with websites and slowly the term 'user experience' came to life. The first Google beta was later launched in 1998 by two students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. This new search engine explored the use of indexing page results based on search terms. After becoming a major search engine, the term 'Search Engine Optimisation' began to grow as businesses came up with different ways to rank higher online.
The integration of online payments arose in the early 2000's and we soon began to see a range of ecommerce businesses switching from analogue to digital transactions.
This decade, we also saw the development of website's being designed for not just desktop browsers but various other devices! This led to an insane growth in websites, specifically with companies joining the digital platform to showcase their expertise.
To further improve the quality of design and user experience, most companies began focusing on content-based elements. In 2003, the need for content and design control grew, leading to the rise of Content Management Systems. One example of a CMS system during this time was WordPress. This platform now accounts for 35.9% of websites online and has truly impacted the future of web design.
Mid to late 2000's saw the launch of social media. Quickly rising in popularity, this platform not only changed the way users communicated and interacted online, but it also set a new pace for design. This was because it quickly became important for businesses to create widgets, ads and graphics for their social media profiles.
Many businesses also merged this platform with their website as another way of improving the visibility of their company.
In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone. This device also had access to the first fully usable HTML browser known as Safari. Not only did this announcement change many business' design strategies, but it also became imperative for designers to create mobile friendly and responsive designs during the production of their websites.
2010 saw a range of fluctuating design trends, starting with shadows, depth, textures and animation and then later turning to more minimalistic elements, bright colours and 2D graphics. This was especially made apparent after the Apple update from iOS 6 to iOS 7.
Currently, web design has a dominant focus on human experiences with a high demand in user experience. This could be anything from a blue spinning circle when loading a page to a vibration when you like a post. All these features help to improve customer satisfaction and have become increasingly popular within business design strategies.
Bespoke designs for specific audiences are another trend that has allowed businesses to target their customer base depending on the brand designs of their industry. They highlight this by also implementing marketing and development techniques, making it interactive and SEO friendly.
Whether you are thinking of redesigning your website, or want to start from scratch, it is always important to take note on what is working online before spending hours producing something for your business.
As we reach the last few months of 2021, why not join us as we take a look at the web design trends that succeeded as well as those that weren't so popular.
In the last couple of years, we have seen that classical black and white colours schemes have become a growing trend across most websites. The contrast of these shades allow to easily grab the user's attention whilst also providing businesses with the opportunity to highlight specific offers, services and other news.
This year however, websites have returned to the world of colour, specifically focusing on incorporating vibrant colours into their website design. Businesses have also been combining this technique with modern patterns and abstract shapes. This has helped them to organise the layout of each page in a more unique and creative way. The use of vibrant colours and modern shapes continues to help businesses when it comes to improving the engagement of their target audience.
Several websites have also achieved great results through the inclusion of advanced animation and layering. By seperating certain page elements into the foreground and background, businesses are able to create depth into their website. This can help to provide an almost 3-dimensional experience for the users. It is also a unique and interactive way of helping to increase user engagement.
Yet another comeback has been the common use of fonts from decades such as the 1970s and 80s. Not just in the digital world but in music, fashion and photography, we have seen the use of many 'vintage' trends being bought back with a modern style. To compete with this, many designers have incorporated their own unique brand within the typography.
First appearing on most social media platforms, dark mode has now become increasingly popular for many websites and is also a common factor for user experience. The contrast of dark mode has enabled the enhancement of images and with these both being great factors of user experience, businesses using this design trend will be sure to see an improvement in engagement.
It is important to avoid cluttering your website with text, images and videos. Many websites this year have taken minimalism to the next level by designing their homepage and landing pages with very little text. This makes it difficult for users to find out information that they are seeking, therefore increasing the risk of bounce rate.
As well as this, designing an extremely minimal page layout may also be viewed as bleak and will lack the interactive aspects that your audience will be looking for. These are crucial factors of user experience so it is important for businesses to find a balance between the two.
Scrolling websites allow users to access information without needing to click through pages. This benefits user experience however, incorporating too much content can lead to the user scrolling for too long. You will usually have around 7 minutes to capture your audience's attention. With long scrolling pages, you could also risk user's missing potentially important content. With this in mind, you should keep content on the landing page to a minimum.
Horizontal scrolling has also appeared in several website designs this year. However, depending on your strategy, this method could seriously affect the user experience on your website. This is because it goes against what all users will expect to see when visiting websites. Incorporating both forms of scrolling will also lack mobile friendliness, resulting in a much lower engagement rate for your website.
Whether you have a business or standard user account, it is always important to keep up-to-date with the latest Instagram design trends to help with the performance of your content. With no need for graphic design and web design skills, we can help to keep your feed looking fresh and current this year!
Stripping it back to black and white has been an ongoing trend since the creation of Instagram. Incorporating black and white images into your feed can help to break up your content and grasp the attention of a wider audience. When it comes to your business, using this trend can also help to highlight important posts. This could include anything from your services, products or offers. With the use of black and white, you can seperate this content from your typical colour images, enticing users to read and interact with these posts.
This trend isn't as simple as it seems though. With a range of photo editing applications, there are several black and white presets to choose from. From high contrasting to softer shades, it is important to find a filter that compliments the theme and overall aeasthetic of your feed.
We are well past the stages of harsh and unrealistic editing and are continously moving towards a more natural and subtle approach to our Instagram feeds. This trend can benefit anyone but is mostly targeted towards businesses. By adopting minimal editing into your content plan, you can help to showcase a more authentic side to your brand. Doing this can also emphasise how open and trustworthy you are which can further improve the relationship you have with your clients.
The possibilities are endless when adding text to your images and can help to create greater meaning and understanding to your post. This could be anything from a question to details about a product and is a great way of improving user engagement on your posts.
There are many websites such as Canva, that allows you to rotate, reposition and distort your text, creating a fun piece of content that is unique to your feed!
Collages have always been a common trend on Instagram. This effect is a great way of adding dimension and creativity to your posts. Since Instagram allows its users to upload multiple images at once, businesses and influencers have been able to experiment with various different content methods. This is a great way of providing more information to your audience whilst still keeping to the overall theme of your feed! Known as a carousel post, this has allowed Instagram users to post any of the following:
It’s 2020. And with a new decade, comes a whole load of new and exciting trends! It’s been an interesting year up until now, so what better way than to implement these trends into your business and end this year with the best improvement to your website!
Creating a spacious display whilst still providing plenty of content and images for your users has been a common trend for years. This year however, we’re taking it a step further with a strong minimalistic theme throughout. This method can help visitors engage and navigate through your pages a lot easier, which in turn will generate a lot more traffic to your website.
What better way to sum up this year than to be big and bold! From oversized typography to full screen visuals, this year is all about providing users with satisfaction and ease. Larger content can not only create a strikingly eye-catching display, but adds a sense of comfort for your users. This design is especially beneficial for tablets, mobiles and other small devices as it creates the illusion of a bigger screen as well as providing more readable content with larger text.
For almost a decade now, mobiles have become more and more popular. But only recently have businesses accommodated their websites for mobile use. Accessing information on a portable device has never been more convenient, but many users are quite often hit by the difficulty of navigating a website that’s not mobile friendly. That is why it is especially important this year to create websites that assist with mobile use. This means a simpler format and as technology advances, more and more companies are recognising its relevance and even incorporating elements of mobile designs to their desktop sites!
Split screens are another key component into making sure your website stays strong and appealing. Not only does this allow more content to your pages, but also defies the typical rules of website layout. By linking the two sections with similar or contrasting categories, you can create a unique identity for your company. But make sure to keep it exciting as this will continue to captivate your audience, keeping them on your page!
Unlike the black and white trend in 2019, we’re going back in time with a true 80’s colour scheme and including bold, bright and visually striking elements to our websites! As visuals are seen to be more intriguing than text, it is important to add prominent, but sleek designs to your website layout. This will help to improve user traffic as well as your company’s online status.
On desktop, tablet and mobile devices, dark mode has become increasingly popular. Not only is it easy on the eyes, but in collaboration with bright colours, dark mode helps to create a modern and stand-out design to your website. This is a great component if you require to emphasise a product or article on your website.
Sticking to the minimalistic theme, adding space to your website can help break up content and visuals, avoiding any cluttered spaces. This creates a tidy and more organised appearance and forms a clear path on every page, therefore helping users to easily navigate through your website. Adding space to your website can make for a more relaxed and modern style whilst still following structure and basic template guidelines.
As well as adding space to a website, this year we are combining content with grid lines and shapes. This futuristic approach adds another fresh element to your website as well as exposing the “behind-the-scenes" layout of your website. This trend can also help to break up content into segments, making it easier for a user to guide their eyes in a desired direction.
This year, websites are becoming more than just a four-cornered screen. With layering and motion, you can create a sense of depth to your website. Whether it be moving graphics in the background, or layering text with images in the foreground, this exciting format brings your website to life! Like any visual component, movement is always pleasing to the eye but too much can confuse users and make navigating your page difficult, so keep it in moderation!
It may be a new decade but these trends provide a sense of past, present and future with bold colours from the 80’s to more futuristic elements like layering and visuals. Give your website a make-over with these trends now!
As 2018 comes to an end we take a look at what web design trends we expect to see in the coming year and what web design trends we’ll be implementing for our clients.
Bold, bright, patterned colours have been a trend in web design for many years. This is because colours attract the users’ attention, and generally make the website look more fun and exciting. However, this trend is starting to change. Design trends are set to go back to the basic colours of black and white. White is a blank canvas, whilst black is bold and striking, allowing it to stand out on top of white.
Bright colours can also pose as a distraction; users may just see the colours instead of the statement that is being told. Having your pictures in black and white allows the user to see past the colours and see the story in the picture and content that is being told.
When designing a website, you need to think of mobile first. Mobiles are the main source for internet search queries over desktop, so your website needs to accommodate this. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, then chances are it won’t receive much traffic. Users need a website that is easily accessible on their mobile. The user needs to be able to scroll through easily, while the glitch art and videos still work with mobile. Having a website that is mobile-friendly also helps with SEO purposes.
As mobiles have overtaken desktop browsing, more and more websites are becoming thumb friendly. Designers are considering how people search on their phones. As you scroll through, your thumb is scrolling from the bottom up. Users are now encountering navigations that are tailored for their thumbs, including menus and links being on the bottom of the mobile screen for easy, effortless access.
Video Content is key! A few seconds of video content can say just as much as a few minutes of written content. It’s no secret that video content is being used, but Google is now wanting even more. Having a banner video on your website is a basic, appealing visual for your users that can give a snippet into your company.
Websites in the future, need more background videos on their website that automatically play without the sound. When the user opens your website on desktop or mobile, they should be greeted automatically with a video that plays on the side or behind the text. However, this video shouldn’t have any sound as some users may automatically click off a website with a surprise sound.
Speed is becoming increasingly important in the world of web design. As always, users need a quick loading website to ensure they don’t navigate elsewhere. 50% of users expect a website to load within 2 seconds, if it fails to load within 3 seconds users have said they will click off the website. You need a site where everything it has to offer, will load in 2-3 seconds, as you only have these valuable seconds to grab the user’s attention.
Speed is also important for SEO purposes. Google is taking loading speed into account when ranking websites within the search engine. No matter how good your content and design may be, if it doesn’t load quick enough, Google will penalise it. When designing a website, try to keep it basic to allow for quick load up times.
Whether it is desktop or mobile, users are getting fed up with horizontal scrolling. You want your website to flow in one direction only, having to scroll down vertically, then horizontally to reach the end of a sentence is not a user-friendly experience. People just won’t bother to continue to the end of the page and will end up navigating off your site. You need a clear website that only scrolls up and down to give the best user experience.
A simple website is key. Yes, videos and glitch art are great factors that make your website look good to users. However, sometimes simplicity can be the best way forward. The less content and elements that are on your website, the less the user must think and navigate. If your website is designed in the right way, the user will automatically know what they’re looking for with a clear, simple design and message.
Chatbots have been present for some time now, however, they are set to become more prominent in 2019. Chatbots will become more popular as the net is evolving and becoming smarter. Having a chatbot appear on your site with a bright colour and micro interaction is great way to get it seen on a minimalist website. Chatbots can have a ‘personality’ that is suited for your site to give the user the information they need.
These are just a few examples of the direction web design seems to be going in 2019. As 2019 hasn’t happened yet, there is still time for you to set your own trends.
Read more about the latest trends online today.
Web design in the UK has become an increasingly popular service with the demand for designers and developers creating more jobs…
…it is expected that development jobs will increase by 20% from 2012 to 2022, the biggest increase of any profession!
These new job openings help the economy of the UK and reduce unemployment rates. With the demand being so high for a website, many people look to outsourcing from the UK in the hopes of finding cheaper rates.
Although there are some advantages to outsourcing web design such as cheaper rates, here we will discuss why you should have web design in the UK and why outsourcing to another country may not be as good as it seems.
Outsourcing is where one company will pay another business to provide goods or services, allowing them to focus on other areas of their business. Companies do this because it can often be cheaper to outsource to another country other than to paying someone in the UK. These are services that would have been previously offered by employees of the company. You may hire a web design company, pay them £50 an hour for work, but they don’t do any of the work themselves as they outsource the work.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing Web Design
There are many disadvantages that you may experience with outsourcing web design, such as:
Finding a company that will execute web design in the UK instead of outsourcing worldwide, will ensure that you receive high-quality web design with data protection laws adhered to.
Why is Outsourcing bad for Business?
You may be a company that previously used web design in the UK but like so many others, thought that outsourcing could be a good idea to enable you to make bigger profits. Although this can be true in some cases, there are many risks and it could be bad for your business because:
Advantages of Hiring a Local Web Design Agency in the UK
Now we’ve gone over why you shouldn’t choose to outsource as a company and as a customer, we’re now going to talk about why you should choose web design in the UK:
There is no right or wrong answer as to whether you should outsource or use web design in the UK as there advantages and disadvantages associated with both, however, if you’re looking for a reliable and professional web design agency in the UK who do all their work in-house, then DSM Design is here to help.
How much does Web Design in the UK Cost?
Web design prices in the UK vary greatly for each website, as all websites have different functionalities and systems built into them that prices can vary from a simple £200, all the way through to £30,000 and upwards for a large complex website. When you propose your website to a web design company, they will likely give you an estimated number of hours that the project will take and charge you per hour on the estimated amount. These prices can range from about £50 to £90 an hour.
How will Web Design Help me and my Business?
You’ve read through why you should get web design in the UK, but why should you get a website in the first place?
Did you know that 81% of people conduct research before buying a product or service?
This research is predominately done through the internet using search engines to answer their queries. If your company offers the product or service that the searcher is looking for, then your website could appear within these search results and the searcher may choose you for their needs based on your website. Without a website, you won’t get the presence you need to become widely successful. In fact, more people now order their products and services online instead of traditional methods; this a lot of potential customers that your business will miss out on without a website.
Professional web design in the UK can provide you with a fully functioning website that will allow your business to gain credibility, more customers, awareness and a way for people to contact you.
Do you own your own company? If you do then you will understand the importance of having a professional website that suits the needs of your customers. Not only does your website need to look great, but it also needs to work well in order to compete with leading competitors in your industry.
A website is the first thing customers will see of your brand and is also one of the biggest representations of any online business. Finding the right web design company to help with this can often be quite difficult. That is why it is important to focus on these key factors:
What does their site look like? Is it responsive, easy to navigate and similar to your needs? If the answer is yes, then there is a chance they will be able to help you!
Web designers should always cater to customer needs but if their own site lacks in quality, then they may not be able to provide you with the designs you are looking for.
Most design companies will share previous work on their website. This is a great way for customers to gage an overall impression of the quality of work that they can produce.
It is important to research similar businesses in your industry in order to find out which companies have designed their websites. This is useful as these companies are more likely to provide you with designs that suit your business needs.
Now that you have chosen a web design company, it is time to arrange your first consultation! There are so many factors to consider when it comes to creating a good website for your business. That is why it is important to ask as many questions during the consultation process in order to be sure that you are making the right decision for your business.
You would’ve already established an idea of how you want your website to look but it is also necessary to identify a realistic budget before you go ahead with anything else. Asking a web design company for a quote on their services will help you to make sure that their designs are within your budget. This is important and will help you negotiate what features your website will have access to.
Once you have received the finished product it will be tempting to explore and add to your website. Asking the web design company what CMS they use is crucial as it can determine whether you have access to making changes or if it is strictly their responsibility. Web design companies should have experience with a range of content management systems. This means that they should easily be able to inform you on the pros and cons before the web designing takes place.
It is good if a web design company has previously created websites for similar businesses. This helps to ensure you that they are aware of your audience and can create relevant designs that suit your industry. If you are the first business they have come across in your field, this can show versatility as they are willing to provide you with fresh and unique ideas!
User experience is key to a good website and can help to improve the performance and online ranking of your business. If a company can provide you with a user-friendly website then they are guaranteed to help the growth of your brand!
Making sure that you are aware of company services is important and includes everything from design elements to estimated completion times. The company you choose should also be able to explain any other benefits that are involved in your web design. This could involve both ongoing support and customer changes.
Read more of our design blogs online today!
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