19 Website Design Trends You Need to Know in 2019
Most websites stay active for around three years. During those years, you need to make continuous touch-ups and improvements to your website. This only goes to show how crucial it is that your website design that can keep up with the times.
Based on the dominant trends in the most recent years, one thing is clear – brands are trying to outshine other competitors by creating eye-catching websites that fascinate users for hours. If you’re planning on changes you need to make, you should be ready to make bold decisions.
Whether it’s about colour, motion, or graphics, your goal should be to stand out from the rest and carve a name for your brand and your business. With those things in mind, here are the top web design trends to look out for in 2019.
1. Create videos which are attractive even without sound
Cinemagraphs made a big impact in website design in 2018, but this trend seems to have lost some of its appeal. As for videos, make sure that the first few seconds will grip the viewer’s attention even if the audio is not turned on. If you are selling a product, show the benefits that people can gain by using it, or reveal how the product works. You can use sequencing or time-lapse to make your product appear easy to use. While at it, make sure that there is a balance between the video and the written copy. These two elements have to complement each other and not compete for the viewer’s attention.
2. Make the buttons bigger
These days, more people view content on a mobile phone and not on a laptop or PC. This means that your web design should incorporate buttons big enough to be visible and wide enough to be thumb-friendly. Nothing can be more annoying than pressing the wrong element because you have large fingers. While at it, make sure that all calls to action are accessible with any finger.
3. Stand out with vibrant and bright colours
Monotones and soft hues dominated colour schemes for some time, but this trend is losing its appeal. More people are finding strong colours and contrast appealing in creative web design.
Metallics, neon colours, and even angular shapes are appearing on more websites. Companies are also willing to use bright and bold colours to represent them.
When choosing a colour, opt for warmer tones such as green, blue, and purple since these hues can evoke deeper emotions.
4. Opt for simpler logo design
In the past, the best website designs usually included a complex logo, but this trend is changing. Logos are becoming simpler and more streamlined, owing to possibly two reasons. Firstly, ostentatious logos were just a fad and secondly; having an elaborate logo would make the entire website look overwhelming.
On the brighter side, a simple logo is easier to read, type, and recreate. Plus, they will look perfect almost anywhere. Though, there’s also a danger that your logo will look too generic to the point that users can’t recognise it in one glance. A logo designer will be able to help you realise your business logo design ideas.
5. Use transitions
Take your website designs to a whole new level by using transitions. Whether you are planning a horizontal or a vertical transition, you can make elements stand out with transitions.
One tip to pull this off is to use the parallax effect. Though, you should be careful in balancing design elements so that the website remains intuitive.
6. Maximise white space
Minimalist designs are in, and you can take things a notch higher by exaggerating the white space in your website design. White space can help draw in the attention of the user to a certain part of your website. By placing nothing on some parts of the website, you can highlight a certain portion or element. Aside from that, white space is easier to adjust, and it gives your website a classic and elegant feel.
7. Break down text elements to bite-sized pieces
No one loves a chunk of text, especially not website designers. In fact, a wall of text can be a big turn off. To avoid this mistake, web designers can use contrasting fonts, white space, and line spacing. Plus, you can also tweak formatting styles and add animation to make the text legible.
Visuals and infographics can also complement the text and make things easier to understand.
It’s also advisable to send specific guidelines to marketers so that you don’t end up with long strings of text. Try to have the actual content when you build a mock-up or a template. Filler words can work, but it’s a much more straightforward task for your web developer if you have the content ready to go.
8. Three-dimensional artworks
Most companies that use 3D art are involved in bridging the gap between the real world and the digital world. Though, the appeal of this trend is just too great that many companies are looking to implement a similar strategy in their website design. Aside from that, 3D art also supports the trend toward virtual reality. In a way, including a 3D element gives the feeling that your company keeps up with technology.
9. Focus on authenticity
Authenticity matters a lot to consumers, and your brand needs it. In fact, 86 percent of consumers will support a brand that they perceive to be authentic. This may not be the latest trend, but it’s becoming more prevalent.
The best part about authenticity is that it is easy to implement. For starters, photos you took on your own rather than stock images feel more personal. You can also allow visitors to see things from your perspective through the flat lay technique. Then, there’s the use of natural textures, hues, and images from real-world settings as well.
10. Don’t shy away from serif fonts
Once upon a time, serif typography was frowned upon, but now you can see them everywhere. Serifs of all types, from the simple ones to the elaborate letters featuring long strokes, are more common in website design.
Thanks to screens with higher resolution, this font is more legible. Serifs would look great with a transitional or a modern web page design.
11. Implement micro-interactions
Interacting with the user goes a long way to improve usability and user engagement. So, it pays to focus on these little interactions to bring your website to life.
Having clickable elements such as navigation buttons would be one step to achieving this. Here, you need to take note of the balance to avoid having an over designed website. You want simplicity while allowing micro-interaction.
To make the process easier, create a checklist of possible interactions, and think about ways to improve user experience at every instance.
12. Go for video
Website design projects should start to use videos. Videos make your content more accessible.
Internet users like video stories, and this has a big influence on designing a website. Since videos continue to grow almost exponentially, it pays to keep up with this trend.
13. Choose powerful visuals
Visuals play a crucial role in modern websites, and you are not limited to photos. Illustrations can also speak volumes about your product, and it is the perfect compromise between product shots and lifestyle shots.
Opting for an illustration is more authentic and unique, even more so if you have an abstract product like a software solution or service. This method will also help you to avoid highlighting race and gender and totally getting rid of featuring unrelated products like buildings, cars, and computers. On top of all that, an illustration can carry a powerful emotion.
The key to a successful illustration is to know what kind of message you want to convey, so it becomes easier to curate the visuals.
14. Make use of AI
Chatbots are not new inventions, but these days they are also more intelligent. In fact, these bots are smart enough to assist users to some extent.
With some websites, you’ll know you are talking to a bot right away, but some bots could mimic people. Bots are helpful because they serve as the go-to person when a website visitor needs help with something or requires assistance on how to navigate the website.
As AI becomes more mainstream, you can expect that users will demand answers right away when they check out your website.
15. Consider the retro vibe
Website design is bound to see the comeback of retro and outline typography. When executed correctly, it can boost the visual composition and appeal of your website.
When using the retro style, you can see the interaction between the elements from the images to the background and even when you hover over the website.
To improve the appearance of your website without compromising SEO, go for JavaScript and CSS Styling effects. Avoid adding your copy as an image since bots can’t read content formatted as an image.
16. Don’t shy away from micro animation
If you are always on Instagram, you would be familiar with the cute GIFs, and you can use these micro animations to make your website more attractive.
Any kind of website can take advantage of this trend. Of course, you have to make sure the GIF fits the general vibe of your brand. You have a lot of choices when it comes to micro animation from moving text elements to making small images pop up on screen.
17. Step outside the grid
The best website designs stand out because they make bold statements, including the use of geometric shapes. These days, it’s easier to express your brand’s unique personality by using all kinds of shapes. Rotated squares, circles, and triangles can all become instruments to showcase what your brand stands for.
While this trend is useful, don’t commit the huge mistake of using just any shape. The shapes should be there for a reason and a representation of what your business stands for.
18. Introduce organic shapes
While geometric designs have always been a staple in website design, you should also consider using more organic shapes. Blobs and bubbles are refreshing to see, and the website will feel more carefree.
Even without animation, you can make these shapes attractive by using colour gradients and different sizes.
Adding layers of different elements can also bring out the desired effect and improve your small business web design.
19. Embrace asymmetry
Almost every designer would lean towards finding symmetry when asked to lay out a website. Though, following the grid and the mirror design where all elements are perfectly balanced are not a prerequisite for an outstanding website.
While this instinct is useful, don’t feel coerced to stick only to a symmetrical layout for your website.
With a new trend for minimalism, asymmetry is a great way to highlight certain elements and make them attractive. Perfecting this art can be complex, but when executed properly, it is a powerful web design tool.
By getting rid of unnecessary elements, users can focus more on your website. Use this opportunity to draw them towards your calls to action and engaging with the website. Directing the user through asymmetry can be done by combining white space, layering, and ingenious proportions.
Asymmetry works best for small websites and landing pages. You would also need the help of an experienced web developer to help you with the process.
Putting some elements off the center and applying different colours and text designs could also be great ways to accomplish the perfect asymmetry.
For a business who wants to reach customers through the Internet, it’s crucial to think about the best website design. Together with social media, content, and other activities related to digital marketing, your website will create a big impact on how customers will perceive your brand. So, you need to keep up with the trends and make the necessary changes to stay relevant.
Need some help with your small business website, contact our web developer Sydney team.