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.
Web Design in 2021
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.
Bold Colours
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.
Design with Depth
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.
Retro Scheme and Typography
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.
Dark Mode
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.
Extreme Minimalism
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
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.
