Have Web Design Trends Changed Between 2021 And 2023?
Looking back on this blog, we were surprised to see that many of these trends are still relevant in 2023. Many of these design elements, such as parallax scrolling, continue to develop and have more applications.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that web design continues to favour interactive elements. These engage users and invite them to explore websites further.
Read on to find out more about the trends that we forecast in 2021, which we continue to see today…
The Web Design Trends We Forecast In 2021
Web design is an ever evolving, shape shifting discipline. A hybrid compromise of appearance and functionality, existing in a world of competition and algorithm updates. On the one hand you have purpose and need, on the other, artistic and eye-catching design. In an age of hearsay replacing facts and ever-changing trading hours and allowances, website design trends in 2021 is a balance of informing and impressing. The purpose of your site, and target audience, both contribute to determining which side you should lean to.
User experience and user interface are both crucial. Design your site to be easy to use, be rewarded with a greater number of pages per session and conversions. Create a website that is visually striking and remarkable, users will return time and time again.
User Experience
Overall experience of a website, based on ease of use & functionality. Where calls to actions and controls are placed. This is what originally made apps so popular
User Interface
Deals with the appearance controls users use to interact. The design and appearance of all elements
In an age where misinformation is spread like wildfire, and certain businesses are having to frequently update their working hours in line with lockdown restrictions, displaying honest meta details of your business online is crucial. The information about actual workings and abilities of your business are as important as UX and UI. Your website bridges this gap, which is good for SEO.
Web Design Trends
Below is a digestible list of website trends to watch out for in 2021:
Vintage & Retro Fonts
It’s not just eighties campervans & boot cut jeans that have come back into fashion, retro & vintage fonts are very popular in the world of web styling & development. Throwback typography has made a comeback, with added artistic styling and zest.
Most notably, we would like to draw your attention to Spotify’s Carnival promotion. The combination of retro futurism and vintage familiarity complements music throughout the ages.
Parallax Images
Parallax images and scrolling website design work hand in hand and have really taken off over the past couple of years. With softer and more creative developments appearing in 2020.
Why the transformation into more subtle parallax designs? The rise in use of smart phones and the potential for the parallax effect to be harmful to people with vestibular disorders, with the illusion of depth and movement contributing to dizziness and disorientation.
Please see a list of guidelines that should be followed when designing parallax sites.
- Practice displaying important and critical information over design. Remember that impressive as design can be, information needs to be conveyed.
- Ensure that users can complete tasks with ease
- Less is more, even with animations
- Include an option for users to be able to turn animations and parallax effects on and off
Horizontal & Vertical Display
As smart phone technology and ability has accelerated, users are looking to take full advantage of screen clarity by viewing sites horizontally.
Web design needs to incorporate this in 2021. The most popular reasons for horizontal design would be viewing a gallery or streaming video embedded on a site. When we design sites to incorporate horizontal displays, we follow the below rules:
- Never force a user to navigate your site horizontally. Ensure users have alternative navigation, like arrows or scroll ability.
- Use visual cues to help users with horizontal mode. Try not to hide these cues behind hovers.
- Avoid using horizontal scroll for vital information, contact details or text
3D Visuals
Again, with the advances in higher resolution screens, web designers, front end developers & graphic designers have been pushing 3D graphics as common user experience. Expect to see 3D visuals cleverly weaved into more and more websites.
Augmented Reality
Ever designed your own car online? Or created a bespoke kitchen and installed into a digital version of your home?
Welcome to the age of augmented reality, or AR as it’s commonly referred to. As processors and hosting improves over the years, it is now affordable and achievable for small to medium businesses to incorporate this impressive feature into their sites.
The Core of Website Development Is Still Important!
Regardless of trends, stylings and functionalities in relation to technological ability and fashion, the core principles and values of web design remain crucial.
Users want to feel safe when using the website, be able to identify the site in a series of open tabs and expect the site to load and respond quickly on all devices.
Favicon
The favicon sits in the top left hand corner of all open tabs. A visual representation of your business and website, reinforcing brand identity.
Mobile Friendly
According to Wordstream, as of 2020 60% of all searches were completed on a mobile device. Over the past five years, this has almost doubled from 34%. Therefore, ensuring your website is fully mobile responsive is an absolute must. We build all websites to load quickly, have noninvasive calls to action and display information clearly.
Hosting
How long would you wait for a website to load? Five seconds? Ten seconds? Longer? Alarmingly, research shows that a staggering 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in under two seconds! 40% will wait no longer than three seconds.
This on top of the variety and types of media users expect (quality images, videos, embedded maps) highlights the need for a fast website. We use encrypted SSL hosting, which protects users and websites alike.
Digital Advertising & Website Design Trends 2021
Digital advertising & marketing is if anything more important in 2021 then it ever has been. The internet is changing, with far more competition and websites having to adhere to complex algorithm and SEO requirements.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, lockdown restrictions meant that many businesses had to rethink their online presence completely. With many businesses investing in e-commerce websites to serve their customers online.
Best practise SEO
SEO is an arm of digital advertising which serves to increase a website’s rankings in certain locations for a variety of keywords. As experts in the field, we pair keywords to specific products and services, implementing a multitude of proven techniques to increase visitors, improve conversions and get your website found.
Social Media Marketing
Social media advertising takes full advantage of the interactive nature of Facebook, Instagram & other popular platforms. Sponsored ads with accompanying images and videos tend to perform.
Pay Per Click Google Ads
PPC is an excellent way of getting a quick injection of traffic, promoting new services or special offers.
Newcomers to the world of digital marketing may wish to invest in PPC as a quick fix, whilst SEO and organic SERPs catch up.
Search4Local Web Design Quotes
For further details on our website design services, please get in touch with our team directly on 01392 409159. Our skilled website developers look forward to discussing your project with you.
