What’s Next in Web Design Trends for South Australia?
Back in March we looked at some of the design trends that would make waves for 2014. As we move past the halfway part of the year and look towards 2015, did we get it right? Here’s our web design report card and a preview of what’s coming next in 2015.
What’s Hot: Parallax, Flat and
In March, we said parallax scrolling would be popular. We were right, because web designers are making that effect do all sorts of great things. But many have gone even further, using scrolling effects to create columns that scroll separately, horizontal scrolling effects, infinite scrolling and more.
Flat design was another trend we mentioned that seems destined to be around for a while. As designers work more with flat design, we’ve seen a couple of other related trends. For example, minimalist icons work well with flat design (and with mobile first design). The web is awash with minimalist icon sets and minimalist mobile designs. Check out an example in the footer of the re:create site.
We were also right about card based layouts, which we have seen on social media and other sites. The proof is that Google has released new design guidelines (Material Design) which will be used to give all their products that layout. If Google‘s doing it, then you can be sure that design trend will be around a while longer.
Bye Bye Slider, Hello Hero
Web design trends are not just about adding but about taking away. One old favorite that’s on the way out is the slider, because there are better ways to get attention. One of those is the hero area (the large area under the top navigation bar). This has become an important place to put images – the bigger, the better – to send a clear message about your business. Here’s one example from Airbnb.
Focusing on Type
Designers’ approach to type is changing. For a start, there’s a lot less text on pages, as companies use short videos to deliver the same message as a page of text. As we know, this keeps people on the site longer, so it’s probably a smart move.
Where type is used, it’s got a bit more experimental, with web pages mixing sizes and fonts to good effect. Check out the Poppies Flowers site where the navigation labels look like they’ve been written in chalk on a piece of wood.
One Page Websites
Many of the web design trends come together in the one-page website. These often feature large images, easy navigation and focus on minimalism. They can let businesses tell their story in a simple way and keep the user experience great for mobile and web users. And they usually use responsive design. Here’s an example on the BeNumo site.
UX Goes Micro
Finally, many designers are focusing on micro UX – getting the small details right that enhances the user’s interaction with a website (or app). The Microinteractions site highlights some well known ones that we probably don’t even think about. There are also some good examples in this Econsultancy article, like the blurry animation below:
These are the trends that will dominate the rest of 2014. What other web design trends have caught your eye?
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