Web design is an ever evolving industry with new rules, new website trends and technology being advanced every year.
As more and more sites join the quest to become mobile friendly, what are the website trends that we will be seeing a lot more of?
1. Simple, cleaner, faster
These days internet users are used to a fast service and can quickly become impatient if a page does not load or rapidly give them the information they are looking for. Companies like Apple are driving a trend towards sophisticated sites, stripping back clutter and getting the message across quickly. Simpler designs are far easier to scan and take in than a cluttered, slow website which means prospective customers are more likely to stay on your page. Flat design has started a trend towards simplicity and immediacy and we expect this to continue as technology advances.
2. Gestures
Things have come a long way since the 90’s scrollbar. Scrolling, swiping, holding, tapping and circling all give far more options in terms of user interaction and really enhance the user experience. Again this shows how mobile technology has influenced the way users are interacting with their devices, it is far easier to scroll with your thumb on your mobile than click on a specific item. We are likely to see less clicks, bigger buttons, single pages for multiple articles and more use of mobile friendly tapping and swiping gestures.
3. Fold
The term ‘above the fold’ originated from the newspaper industry. Newspapers are usually folded in half to be stacked for sale and since readers can only see the top half of the paper, it is imperative for the content above the fold to be compelling to encourage them to buy a copy. During the 90’s and 00’s it was general practice to use the same reasoning when designing websites because scrolling was not so intuitive. However, now that scrolling has become so easy on all devices, it is safe to say that the days of the fold on websites are officially over.
4. Pixels
With faster machines and broadband speeds there is no excuse not to use high quality imagery. Its crisper, better looking and far more impressive on the latest HD, 4k and retina screens on the market. You can see twice the number of pixels in a retina display than a regular display, which means that web designers can fit in twice the number of pixels than before and create far more detailed pictures.
5. Animation
While flat design is great for simplifying websites, it may need the assistance of some animation to keep the users engaged. Adding movement, parallax effects and animation into a website can bring it to life from a traditional static 2-dimension design. This can be a tricky trend to pull off as some animations can be distracting but if executed well it will enhance the site’s content, the key here is to work on
individual sections or create a gentle movement of an entire image. GIF animation is popular again and new technologies such as CSS make it easy to enhance designs without plugins, speed or compatibility issues.
6. Direct personal communication
Last but by no means least – direct personal communication. Most companies use traditional mail shoot outs, sending out the same campaign with the same offers to thousands of people, hoping that a few will become conversions. Nowadays it is possible to collect information on your website which enables you to send out tailored, personal shoot outs to the individuals receiving the messages. This will naturally lead to more conversions so this is definitely a trend to watch.
Watch the latest video to learn more, or get in touch with our experienced, knowledgeable staff to discuss these trends and how they can help your business. Call us on 0208 44 44 757 or email us via the Contact Us page.