Think of a store with lights that go on and off, untidy shelves, and an unorganized setting. You wouldn’t stay long there, right? You might not even go inside the store if you see how messy it is from the outside. This goes for the websites too. Just like stores, visitors will keep coming back if the website is user-friendly and welcoming.

Website design trends come and go and change fast depending on what people are into at that moment, they are just like most trends you see in fashion and online. While website design trends always change it’s still important to keep up with them because it impacts your visitor’s experience. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the trends in web design and what styles are getting left behind.

What’s Hot in Modern Web Design

Modern web design is not just about making the website look cool, it’s also about making a fun and engaging experience for each person who visits your site.

User Experience (UX) Focus

• Mobile-First Approach: A lot of people use their phones or tablets to browse the internet. This approach means designing websites that function well on smaller screens first, then adjusting them for larger devices like desktops. So no matter what device the people are using, they can have a smooth browsing experience.
• Minimalism with Bold Typography: Clean layouts with wide white spaces are still popular as they make it easier for users to look for the information they need. Bold fonts that are easy to read are also important to seamlessly access and read through on all screen sizes.
• Accessibility: The modern web design is inclusive! All users, even those with visual or hearing disability, should be able to have access to websites. An example of this is the alt text for images, proper color contrast, and keyboard navigation for users who can’t use a mouse.

Engaging Content and Design

• Storytelling and Interactive Design: Websites are past being a standstill page and are including user interactions like quizzes and pools, and a little bit of storytelling on a product or service. Rather than just simply putting a list, these strategies get attention and make users want to know more
• Immersive Multimedia Experiences: Video backgrounds, high-quality animations, and even 3D graphics can give an amazing experience for users. These elements can be used to showcase products, explain concepts that are hard to understand, or simply grab the user’s attention and make the website stand out.
• Micro-Animations and Scrolling Effects: A slight animation can make a website feel more lively and enjoyable. These might be small animations on buttons or menus when you click on them, or mini scrolling effects that guide users through the website’s content.
• Creative Use of Color: Color is a helpful tool in web design. Popular trends include gradients (smooth blends between colors), monochromatic palettes (different shades of a single color), and bold color combinations to make a brand image and visual appeal that stands out.

Advanced Design Elements (Optional)

• Dark Mode: Dark mode themes are easier on the eyes, especially at night and in dim-light environments. This theme, like dark backgrounds with light text, is getting popular.
• Neumorphism: Neumorphism makes a soft and three-layered effect on things like buttons or icons, this design trend tends to add depth and visual appeal to a website.
• Custom Illustrations and Organic Shapes: Custom illustrations and organic shapes can add a personal touch and visual appeal to a website. Which can help represent a brand, highlight key factors, or simply add a more visually appealing experience.

What’s Not in Modern Web Design

Outdated Design Practices

Stock Photos and Clipart: 

Stock photos and Clipart are like pictures that have already been made in advance, you can just buy them and use them on your site, they’re generic for short. While it is a quick fix and an easy option, they can make your website look like common websites. Think of it like a restaurant menu filled with the same photo of a family smiling over a pizza, it does not tell much about the restaurant itself, right? The best website uses personalized and unique photos that show its brand and content. This could be a high-quality picture you took yourself, or a design made for your website specifically. 

Flash and Intrusive Pop-Ups: 

Flash, a type of technology that was used to make animation on websites years ago, it’s those flashy ads or little games that you could have seen before. The only problem is most web browsers don’t support Flash now, so using it for animations will no longer work for your websites or your visitors. At the same time, pop-ups are the familiar annoying windows that jump on your screen to block your view. Pop-ups that are intrusive can force visitors to just close the websites even before seeing the content of the website. They’re frustrating and can make the visitors go away.

Confusing Navigation and Jumbled Layouts: 

Imagine a supermarket with aisles that have no labels and all the products are piled on top of one another. That is what it’s like to have confusing navigation on a website. Visitors who can’t easily find what they are looking for are most likely to leave one website and go for another, a clear and simple layout for your website is the key to avoiding this. 

A good navigation for a website is one that is well-organized, with menus that are easy to find, and with clear labels for each section. The layout of your website content would be more appealing to visitors if it’s clean and simple, not messy with too much text or pictures.

Overused and Ineffective Techniques

Excessive Animations and Slow Loading Times:

A bit of animation here and there can be a good way to add some personality to your website. Maybe a slight fade-in when a new section comes in, or a hover effect on a button or mouse. But too many animations can affect the loading speed of your website, making it slow down, and we all know how frustrating it is to wait for a website to load. Most of the visitors would just give up on a website that takes too long to load and go somewhere else. A good website has to have the right balance of putting just the right amount of animation, it should be visually appealing, but also still allow a quick loading time.

Unreadable Fonts and Low-Quality Images:

The font of the text on your website is the voice you use to speak to your visitors. If you use a weir, hard-to-read font it may come across as unwelcoming and visitors would not have a great experience with your website. Stick to the clear, easy-to-read fonts in the right size that’s big enough for people to see clearly, especially on smaller screens like cellphones. The same goes for pictures. Pixelated and blurry pictures look unprofessional and can take away from the message of your website. Use pictures that are clear and high-quality. 

Lack of Mobile Responsiveness:

In 2023, 95.8% of global users accessed the internet using their mobile phones. With this huge number of users, if your website is still not mobile-friendly, it might lead to losing visitors. Imagine a website on a mobile phone but all of the content in the website is squished together, the text is too tiny and it’s hard to click the buttons. That’s the result of a website that is not mobile-friendly. 

A mobile-friendly website adjusts its layout automatically for different screen sizes so that it functions well and still looks good no matter what device is being used. Texts are big enough for visitors to read easily, the buttons will be easy to click, and the overall experience is smooth and fun. This part is important because you will be inclusive to all visitors who might be browsing your website from their laptops or mobile phones.

Wrapping Up

Keeping your website updated on trends is like making your store look refreshing to stay inviting for customers. Modern web design’s focus is mainly on making a smooth and fun experience for visitors, especially for those people who browse on their mobile phones. Which can include having clear and simple layouts, fonts that are easy to read, and mobile-friendly features. Websites are now over pixelated photos, vulgar animations, and confusing navigation. Instead, they now have elements like storytelling, subtle animations, and creative colors to get visitors’ attention. 

Author Bio: 

Adriana Evans is a technology consultant and strategist who bridges the gap between tech and practical needs for homeowners and business owners. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in digital transformation and tech problem-solving. A passionate speaker and writer, Evans empowers clients to leverage technology for growth and efficiency.

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