With the web design becoming highly complicated and advanced every year, it often leads to the introduction of new techniques and trends, which continue to dominate the industry for a long time. Many ideas get transformed into norms and become an integral part of our design techniques; others are left behind and fade away. The past year revolutionized the web design industry in more ways than one, as web designers came up with exciting and innovative techniques to give an edge to their designs and make them stand out. Many groundbreaking trends and modernized techniques were adopted by designers and developers, which brought amazing transformation in the web design market. While not every trend had the potential to sustain, here are some popular web design trends that one should look out for in 2015.
Responsive design
Having a responsive web design is a given in today’s times and no reason is good enough for not incorporating it into a website design. Rather than an option, it has become an imperative need over the past few years, without which the scope of a website remains limited to a specific set of users. Responsive web design is the one which is designed to adapt to whichever device it is used on. So, whether it is a laptop, tablet or smartphone, a responsive website can be viewed without affecting its appearance and performance. That is why more and more websites are opting for responsive design, making it a new norm, rather than a trend.
Ghost buttons
Counted among the most prominent design features, plenty of reasons make ghost buttons one of the favorite elements in web design. Besides being visually appealing, classy and minimal, these buttons also make a highly useful option for attracting the attention of shoppers. Different from call to action in many ways, such buttons serve the purpose in a subtle way. The effectiveness of ghost buttons gets enhanced even more when combined with large videos and images in background.
Bigger Emphasis on Typography
Eye catching, cohesive typography is a prominent medium making it easy to create and define a brand across various mediums. It can lend a much needed touch of elegance to the overall design, provided it is used properly and creatively. Particularly bold but simple elements along with large images will rule the web design scene in 2015. Besides the regular, responsive typography is the new trend which is catching up fast. Such text can be read clearly by users on any device. Moreover, with access to a more incredible range of fonts, designers now have the flexibility and choice to take their creativity to a whole new level.
Large, Beautiful Background Images
Another element which was quite popular in the previous year and is going to be huge in the year 2015 as well is the presence of large and beautiful background images, which are certainly the most attractive part of a website. These images and videos are an ideal way for displaying the content prominently and making a website stand out by attracting user’s attention. However, the trick is to choose images which convey relevant message and complement the theme of the website. Combine it with a unique design style to make it look elegant and powerful, rather than clumsy and gimmicky.
Scrolling Over Clicking
With the advent of tablets and smartphones, the choice of devices for browsing websites has changed in the past few years. This is the reason why scrolling has become highly popular and preferred, primarily because of the convenience it offers. In comparison to clicking, scrolling has a lot many benefits to offer. For example, it is less time consuming when loading a page. Moreover, it encourages dynamic interactions as users making use of phones and tablets can access the required information easily without requiring them to click through various pages. The idea is to put the entire content on a long page which can be accessed through scrolling; thus making it a visually attentive option for users who can scroll through the page to find the information they are looking for rather than clicking constantly.
Card Design Will Continue
Card design is considered to be a wonderful tool by designers who create responsive websites, as it is an easy and smart way to arrange and organize elements in order. Moreover, cards also make it highly convenient for shoppers to browse a lot of things and information. Being clear and simple, it can be utilized in plenty of ways; thus making it one of the most favorite and popular website design trends. It is the versatility and ease of access offered by card design which makes this web design trend equally popular among designers and users.
Flat Design is Growing Up
Gradients and animations ruled the web design scene for some time, but users prefer the simplicity of flat design more. The popularity of flat design has increased considerably over the past few years and it is here to stay in 2015 as well. As an increasing number of users are making use of hand held devices for browsing websites, designers are focusing on elements which can create minimalistic and smooth appearance. The use of subtle layering and gradients lends a touch of tangible world, while keeping the design simple and flat. More and more companies are expected to adopt flat design in their upcoming projects.
Microinteractions
For those who are not familiar with this term, microinteractions refer to an experience which the users have on a website revolving around single use case. Their primary aim is to improve engagement with customers. Microinteractions are being incorporated in website design in many ways. Email sign up box is a good example of microinteractions, which encourages people to sign up for a regular newsletter or updates through email. In the year 2015, designers will focus on microinteractions that are more useful and sophisticated than the ones used previously.
Interactive Storytelling
It is the visual appeal that has become the most prominent feature of websites. Considering the emphasis paid on how the websites appear and feel, a sharp decline has been noticed in text heavy websites. Creative visual storytelling is the new trend, rather than using large paragraphs or blocks of text for telling the history of a company. The use of text has been limited, while the use of large images, icons and infographics is preferred to share important information. For sites which rely heavily on text, the emphasis is on offering rich content experience. Combining text with pictures and videos enhances its interactive functionality; thus capturing the attention of users.
With new trends and patterns emerging with every passing day, it is the accessibility and simplification that are dominating the web design industry. As web aesthetics are diversifying, constant development will be visible in web design. Predicting the future is not really possible, it can be said that the year 2015 will be dominated by creative and functional aspects as far as website design is concerned. The future of these trends will be decided by how well these are adopted and implemented by designers and how the browsing experience of users gets enhanced through these elements.
