Posts Tagged ‘Design Trends’

Top 2015 Web Design Trends

2014 introduced a lot of new technology and evolution in the web world, much of which will become a staple in this year’s marketing and design. We at Vegas Website Designs pride ourselves on delivering the latest user experience and want to keep you informed of the top web design trends for 2015. Resolved to improving your online presence this new year? Take a look below to gain some insight as to what to budget for when revamping your website.

Responsive Design

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: for those companies still lacking a website that functions on mobile devices, you are missing an entire world of opportunity! There will be 2 billion smartphone users by 2015. The concept of responsive design was pushed at us back in 2012 as mobile users multiplied, but if you don’t implement this web design trend in the coming year, there is a real probability you could start to see a decline in profits.

This design trend isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s growing. A shocking stat from ONE shares that more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet! What’s more is that 3/4 of those mobile users in the U.S. admit to taking their devices with them in the bathroom. So if you want unlimited access to your customers, taking advantage of responsive design will certainly get you there.

The Rise of Video

web design trends video

Make friends with this valuable content tool this year by incorporating video into your business website. With customers wanting to spend less time making a decision, implementing video tutorials and how-to’s certainly speed up that process. Another great way to make the most of video content is to use it to tell your story. Visual content is one of the highest effective methods when it comes to customer engagement, so creating a video about your company that shows off its standards, processes, or kick-ass office space is an excellent way for customers to relate to you.

Another fascinating way this web design trend is being used in 2015 is through HTML5 video. Instead of having a static background image on your site’s main page, an embedded video runs in the background, grabbing your customer’s interest from the start. And the longer a customer stays on your site, the more invested they become. Plus, it gives your business a modern, high tech vibe that gives you a leg up over your competitor.

Infinite Scrolling

Users like to scroll. And it’s easier for customers to get all their information on one page than to click around trying to find it. We’re already familiar with this concept because of social media pages like Twitter and Facebook, so users have come to expect it. And with more and more websites opting for a one page design, fear of poor SEO ranking is dying.

Typography

web design trends typography

Large, unique typography has become standard. With the endless possibilities of typography design out there, there is no reason a business can’t be personally branded. When coupled with a large size, your unique typography will make a statement that can’t be missed. So make sure the most important information is captured using this technique.

Simplification

web design trends simplification

Everything you need, nothing you don’t. That’s the design mantra websites are taking on this year, mainly driven by the small screen sizes of mobile devices. There is no longer room for fancy bells and whistles if you’re trying to convey what’s most important on a handheld screen. Removing non-essential design elements will give your website a cleaner, more functional look that will certainly be favored in 2015. And because smartphones aren’t going extinct any time soon, it’s a good idea to slim down your company’s website now and opt for simplicity.

Many of this year’s web design trends are reinforced from last year, but have increased importance as consumers change their shopping methods. What are some of the design trends you have noticed moving toward 2015? If you implemented any of these into your website, what changes have you noticed? Feel free to join the conversation and comment below.

Top 2016 Web Design Trends

Web design trends change every year, and as website designers, it’s crucial to know what trends are popular so you can stay ahead of your competition and meet your clients’ needs. Remember, “trend” doesn’t necessarily mean “new,” just popular.

But before we take a look at what’s gaining attention, let’s first look at the web design trends of 2015, as many of them are being refined and will reemerge this year with a new face.

  • Responsive Design
  • Video
  • Infinite Scrolling
  • Typography
  • Minimalism
  • Flat Design

Some of these trends have been replaced, while others have evolved and improved as web designers equip better technology. Many refined processes will become the standard norm this year.

Now let’s take a look at what to keep an eye out for in 2016:

Mobile Responsive Web Design

Mobile Responsive Web Design

We just tipped the scales last year when Google announced more search inquiries are being conducted through mobile devices than on desktop computers. In the United States alone, 94% of people with smartphones search for local information on their phones. What’s more is that Google announced it will give higher ranks to responsive websites (that is, websites that pass Google’s standards for mobile friendly viewing).

So that means avoiding any content that requires Adobe’s Flash Player, ensuring the website is readable without zooming, and separating content with white space so links can easily be clicked.

And for those of you still a little confused about how responsive design differs from dynamic serving or having a separate mobile URL version of your website, remember this: Responsive web design serves the same HTML code on the same URL regardless of the users’ device (desktop, tablet, mobile, non-visual browser), but can render the display differently, or “respond” based on the screen size.

Responsive design has a focus on the mobile user’s experience. Certain desktop features become hidden when viewed from a mobile device, allowing for clean minimalism. Images, buttons and menus are all designed with the mobile user experience in mind. These elements adjust and “respond” depending on the screen size and type.

Unsure if your website is responsive? You can check it here.

User Experience (UX)

The overwhelming majority of visitors are less likely to revisit a website if they had a bad user experience. So trends will continue following the best practices for UX and mobile. These 2 forces are center stage and are driving web design trends toward an uncluttered user interface. Consumers expect companies to fulfill their needs in real-time. So any web design practice that reduces page load time will be favored as more and more users opt to view websites from mobile devices.

The overwhelming majority of visitors are less likely to revisit a website if they had a bad user experience

Not only will web design cater to the mobile viewing experience, but the mobile user experience as well. Designers are now considering elements as they never have before such as the amount of pressure necessary and the use of various touch gestures like 2 finger tap, swipe, or finger spread to perform actions.

Video Integration

The use of video is becoming more impressive as developers learn to integrate it into a design with animation. Use it to show off a product on your website or in a tutorial of how to use your new app. Both uses enhance the user’s experience.

Typography

web trends 2016 typography

Handwritten script has emerged this year as a popular web design trend. The personal touch that handwritten typography adds can make a company stand head and shoulders above the competition.

The only caution with implementing this trend is legibility on small screens. One solution would be to display typography based on screen resolution. High-res screens would showcase more elaborate typography whereas lower resolution screens would revert to a more legible font.

Card Style Layout

card-layout

This web design trend is popping up EVERYWHERE. It stemmed from using more images and less text to navigate the user. (Oh, and Pinterest helped a little, too.) Now it’s used to showcase portfolio pieces, blog articles, services, products and any content you can slap an image over.

Simple marketing tells us people process visuals faster and consumers would rather look at an image than read text. The only drawback is balancing text rich SEO and delivering a pleasant user experience. Search engines index text but it’s more important to target your user. When in doubt, always cater to the human experience. If you’re using lots of images on your homepage, just be sure to compensate by giving search engines plenty of text rich content in your sub pages.

Marketing tells us people process visuals faster and consumers prefer to look at an image than read text

Of course, the most popular trend is not always the best solution, so don’t stray from a classic design trend if it converts and works well for you. What emerging web design trends have you noticed this year? How do you believe they will evolve in 2017? State your opinions and forecasts in the comments below.