How important is it to have a gorgeous website design for your business?
In the early 2000s, merely owning a website was enough to demonstrate your professional prowess. Now, a bland web design could hurt the credibility of your brand.
In fact, 38.5% of people will leave a website if the design is outdated.
This proves how essential it is to have a beautiful (and functional) website. However, you don’t want to get too carried away with your web design, or you could end up with a confused and irritated audience. For example, adding too many graphics that slow down page load speed or having a cluttered home page could reduce your site’s usability (and lead to higher bounce rates) — not good for your Google ranking.
So what are the latest trends in web design? Let’s take a look at our favorite picks.
Dark Mode and Low Light
App companies are already taking the hint: users like (and use) the dark mode option. You, too, may have toggled on your low light or dark mode settings for your Gmail, WhatsApp, or smartphone display. The contrasting light colors on the dark background are easier on the eyes, especially for late-night browsing.
It’s a web design trend we’ve watched grow, and it’s one that will likely stick around. Personalization is everything to web visitors today, so adding this option to your web design is vital. Or you can be bold and make the black background your primary design.
Modern Minimalism
Less is more is the trend that’s taking over lifestyles, careers, and now website design. Sometimes this works for the better, especially for web users on mobile devices with smaller screens.
The goal here is to use your “white space” rather than clutter it with icons, buttons, and text. This trend is growing in popularity now that more people are using mobile devices with smaller screens to browse the net.
Storytelling and Interactive Web Design
People love stories — it’s ingrained in our DNA. But you don’t have to rely solely on your content to appeal to story-loving visitors. Instead, you can use storytelling and interactive web designs.
For example: Have a clickable animation to demonstrate how your product works.
It’s a unique concept that captures attention and informs your audience about your product or service.
3D Elements
Here’s a trend that started last year and is still holding strong. There’s something about three-dimensional art that captures the eye and makes the page pop out the screen.
There are different ways you can adopt this web design trend — add static 3D graphics, implement interactive 3D animations, or use realistic 3D rendering. We imagine this web design trend could easily cross over into the VR realm as more brands attempt to tie augmented reality into their marketing strategy.
Rotating Animations
You can’t go wrong with adding animations to your website design. But this time around, we’re pointing out rotating animations.
There are many ways you can implement this scheme into your site. For example, you can use a 3D rotating animation to showcase a new product and all of its angles. Or you can tease visitors with a rotating wrapped gift they must click to unravel and reveal.
The Disruption Company took this idea even further — each time you visit its page, there’s a different animated intro.
Gradient Color Schemes
We adore the minimalist approach to web design, but let’s face it — too much white space can be a drag. That’s why we love the concept of using gradient color schemes to make minimalist designs pop.
This is exactly what we’ve witnessed since 2018, and it’s expected to carry over into 2021. By adding gradient colors, you can give your minimalist site depth and visual appeal.
Scroll-Triggered Animations
Yet another animation trend makes it to the list for one simple reason: Movement catches your attention. By adding scroll-triggered animations to your web design, you can guide your visitors’ attention down your page. This can increase the odds that they will reach the end and maybe even complete your call to action.
There are different ways to implement this. For example, having images zoom in as visitors enter the section and shrink back as they exit, or having design elements move with the page as they scroll.
Creative Color Combinations for Branding
In the past, brands gravitated towards the same traditional color schemes. This is why you’ll find many companies with similar color palettes featuring blue, white, yellow, red, and black.
But now, we’re seeing brands step away from old traditions towards creative color combos — for example, bright pinks, light purples, lime green, pastels, and earthy tones.
Designs Containing Depth and Dimension
Flat designs are out, and multi-dimensional websites are in. We’re seeing more brands drifting toward site designs containing overlapping layers, shadows and floating elements that add depth and dimension.
This helps to remove the monotony we often find when visiting corporate-style websites. Adding depth can turn your design from common to compelling.
Oversized Attention-Grabbing Titles
Visuals are great eye-candy. But you can also use text to grab the attention of your visitors. This is the theme we’re seeing with overly large page titles.
They’re being used to capture attention and pique interest. The title may be the name of a popular product, a question that’s been egging you lately or a statement that garners intrigue.
Abstract Elements
The colors you choose for your brand are never truly your own. Anyone can copy your palette, making it harder to stand apart. But there’s another way to give your website a unique appeal: using abstract elements.
Think of illustrations that speak to your audience. These visuals are typically made up of shapes, blobs, and odd figures. But you can also use them to tell a story, provide a demonstration, or represent a cause. In this case, the graphic shouldn’t be too abstract, or your audience may miss your point.
Modernize Your Site Using Web Design Trends
What makes a website attractive is always changing — what was hot 10 years ago definitely isn’t hot today. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to keep up with the times.
After all, the purpose of your website is to appeal to your audience. And today’s users are drawn toward beautiful, engaging designs.
At Orpheus, we help brands develop great websites with compelling layouts, graphics, animations and other elements to make your design exciting. Our goal is to create a web presence that resonates with your brand and its audience.
If you’d like to modernize your website design using one of these web design trends, request a quote from our web designers today!
