Website Design Trends To Watch In 2015
Posted on December 12, 2014 | No Comments
Before we dive into my predictions for the top website design trends to watch in 2015, I’ll start by summing up key trends that emerged in 2014. I can do it in one word.
Simple Web design this past year was all about stripped out the pizzazz and focusing on design that will maximize visitor to lead conversions. It was all about being simple, quick and to the point. I don’t see web design taking a radically different turn this year. In 2015, websites will continue to be simplified, continue to put the focus on responsiveness and dictate the way the user interacts with onpage content. Here you go!
Responsive
If your site is already responsive, kudos! But, you aren’t out of the woods quite yet. To accomodate these new devices – specifically smart watches – the responsive navigation structure we are all used to will need to change. This rollout won’t be fast. By the end of 2015, we should start to see solutions emerging.
Ghost Buttons
Ghost buttons are the Holly Golightly of buttons – minimal, attractive, and, more often than not, they incorporate a very subtle hover animation. These buttons are enough to make any designer swoon.
Not only are ghost buttons gorgeous, they have a practical application in that they are the best option for calls to action being implemented over top of large background images and video.
Storytelling
Your company details and stats may not necessarily make your brand stand out… but your stories will.
Storytelling allows you to show your visitors different aspects of your business and connect with them on a more personal level than simply stating your company facts or statistics.
Flat Design
Since flat design is so focused on minimalist principals, sites appear clutter-free and content focused. Second, it’s how we access content. Flat design is less clunky and much easier for a web server to deliver to devices like mobile phones and tablets.
It’s a perfect marriage of form and function. Material design is a visual language developed by Google in 2014 and is a good example for the same.
Scrolling
For the last couple of years, with the rise of mobile devices and tablets, we have become accustomed to scrolling. We have! You scroll out of habit – don’t act like it is an inconvenience. You like it! Admit it, you like to scroll!
Large Images or ‘Hero’ Images
Don’t be afraid to incorporate a big, beautiful background image or video on your homepage. The fold doesn’t matter! Capture your user’s attention by being purely aesthetic. A prominently displayed tag line and ghost button call to action over top of a powerful and elegant image can really set your site apart.
But wait, won’t this impact my site’s speed? Two years ago, yes this would. Since this is an emerging trend, the need for increased bandwidth is being recognised by developers and hosts. Expect to see new techniques in responsive resizing and image optimisation.
Typography
An emphasis on typography is going to take center stage in 2015 – every designer’s dream come true. Simple, bold typography elements combined with the large images mentioned above, will dominate the web.Because content is king, this emphasis on typography should come as no surprise, and it’s a philosophy that isn’t going anywhere.
Microinteractions
Maybe you’ve noticed those little pop-up windows that interrupt your blog reading about 70% of the way through a page? Well, those little buggers have a name – microinteractions. To be more specific, a microinteraction is a contained experience that a user has with a website that revolves around a single use case. An email sign up box is the best example. Its intention is to promote further user engagement.
Card Design
Another design trend that has been influenced by the rise in mobile is the increased popularity of ‘card design’ websites. This is the web design format of displaying information in modular bite-size panels. Essentially these panels are miniature condensed web pages that contain a brief amount of text, a user name, an image and various share icons. This design layout is a good format for designers to work with as panels can be rearranged in a clean and simple fashion that gives an organised and uniform appearance.
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