Happy New Year!
As Emphasize Design’s creative lead I do a lot of research into website design trends to make sure I am always ahead of the curve. The internet is always evolving, and users are the ones who dictate what they like and want. It’s challenging, but rewarding, as I know my skills are always being fine-tuned at the same time as I am keeping current about user habits.
2019 promises to be yet another great year for exciting website design trends, and many of these are relatively simple to incorporate into an existing site. If you are looking to update your website, let us do a site audit for you to see how we can improve upon what you already have without having to start completely over.
What’s New in Website Design for 2019?
TheNextWeb.com is a great resource dedicated solely to discovering and reporting on successful (and not-so-successful) online developments in design and technologies. Their article “10 exciting web design trends you can’t hide from in 2019” by Amber Leigh Turner lists a few trends I would highly recommend for any small business’s website.
1. Ditching the grid. In order to simplify the design process and help make websites more able to stack elements for responsiveness they have long been built using a standard grid format. If you look closely at most websites, they are constructed using columns and rows. Squares, rectangles, and circles are extremely common for design elements and places to put your content.
Turner recommends using more organic shapes in website design for important pages such as your home pages and landing pages. More natural and appealing to users, incorporating organic shapes shows you are dedicated to pleasing your target customer. They make a page more difficult to design, but the result is worth it.
2. Heightened image treatments. I have to admit, I don’t really think of enhanced image treatments as a trend, but more of a necessity. Images are essential for portraying exactly what a business’s brand is trying to achieve, and they have been improving exponentially over the years. Us designers can layer images so certain aspects appear to float, place patterns that move as the user scrolls, and Photoshop in unexpected elements to heighten interest. Infographics are also holding strong in the popularity category. They can simplify complicated processes into easily understandable chunks fortified by smart artistry that retains the user’s attention.
3. Larger navigations. Arguably the most crucial part of your website, your navigation is how people find their way around. Navigations have been getting smaller over the past little while, with the use of hamburger menus for mobiles and tablets. Many website designers are now experimenting with larger navigations, though, with some even going so far as to make their entire home page nothing but navigation. When done right, larger navigations can fully support a brand as well as make “surfing” easier and more enjoyable.
4. The use of white space. Another website design trend that is holding strong from a couple of years ago is the smart use of white space. Often referred to as negative space, white space refers to a portion of a page intentionally left blank, unmarked, or empty. It allows users to rest their eyes and concentrate on an important aspect of a page, such as text or graphics. Instead of being a waste, white space is actually a useful addition.
5. Incorporating some serifs. The hard-and-fast rule used to be absolutely no serif fonts on a website. This used to be to improve readability, but as screens and responsive design have both become so much better it’s not so much of a necessity anymore. I am glad to see that many folks are starting to use serif fonts for headers, sub-heads, and calls-to-action. I think they add visual interest, and also allow me to discover the latest and great fonts I haven’t been able to use yet.
6. It’s all black and white and minimalism. We totally understand the tendency to try to cram in a ton of information and graphic elements above the fold on a web page. You only have a few seconds to gain and retain attention, right? But too much stuff can be overwhelming and is often not necessary. A lot can be said with a simple, beautiful photo and a few words stating clearly and concisely what the business’s purpose is. I haven’t had a chance to design a fully black-and-white website yet, but there are several examples out there that create just the right mood by only using two different colours (or, technically, the absence of colour and the presence of all colours).
Contact Emphasize to Bring Your Website into 2019
Website design trends come and go, but we know which ones have longevity. We take pride in making you look your best. We offer several packages for your custom website design, all based on the use of a flexible open-source content management system that will easily grow with your business.
