Sleek Web Design Trends and Strategies for 2020
A website's overall design plays a huge role in the user experience and decision-making process. Web design draws from so many different aspects of culture including different artistic disciplines and innovative technological developments. This article explores current trends in web design and how designers can incorporate different types of content, art and technology into their creations to encourage user engagement.
Sleek Web Design Trends and Strategies for 2020
When we first lay our eyes on a website, we often make a snap decision on whether we’re going to explore the site further or bounce to the next one and with so many options online, it’s more important than ever for web designers to be in the know regarding design trends that spark interest and keep our attention.
If designers do their best to keep their finger on the pulse of their users and work hard to strike the right balance between experimentation and user expectations, they'll be in a solid position to deliver the type of experience users are interested in. With that said, let’s dive into some of the most compelling and effective design trends happening at the start of 2020 and explore how designers can get ahead of the curve looking down the road!
Audio and Video
When you’re trying to pinpoint the type of content and elements that are going to add value to your site and connect with users in an engaging way, it would be wise to consider how you can integrate some type of video or even audio into your landing pages. This type of content grabs attention quickly and provides a much more dynamic experience than blocks of text on a page.
Because video is probably the most immersive form of content (The verdict is still out on 3D video), designers and app developers are integrating it into their sites more often with the hopes of giving users what they want. While it’s becoming more common to see video as a part of web designs, there has also been somewhat of a trend in audio implementation.
Some designers are including different forms of audio and sound effects in their sites as an immediate attention grabber. This can be a risky game to play since not everyone is a fan of auto-play sound effects when they first encounter a site, but if implemented tactfully, designers can jump on the audio trend and set their sites apart from the rest with engaging sights and sounds.
Illustrations and Graphics
Custom illustrations have become a more common feature of website designs in 2020, with brands providing unique and interesting takes on symbols and images that often have a better chance of evoking some type of emotional response from the user. By including a custom illustration that provides a unique take on images that are associated with your niche, you might find that more visitors click through your content and spend more time on your creative pages.
Another interesting way that custom illustrations are being used in web design this year is in union with original graphics. BAUNFIRE designed this graphic as part of a series of combined illustrations and graphics. By combining these two art forms, graphic artists are able to create something completely unique and often very intriguing which can leave a lasting impression on the user. Consider some of the key images and symbols that represent your mission and your work and you might come up with some novel ways to incorporate those visuals into your website’s design.
Minimalism
We can see the minimalist trends permeating so many aspects of art and culture from home design to fashion and web design is not excluded from this trend. Focusing on a minimalist design for your website can convey to users that you’re focused on the indispensable and the essentials. The “less is more” way of thinking when it comes to design can provide some really dramatic effects in terms of space and hierarchy. The important elements of the page are clearly evident and your navigation options are plainly laid out for you, so there’s no guesswork.
With so much clutter that can be found on the internet, sometimes heading in the opposite direction in terms of your design might provide users with a uniquely refreshing feeling when they visit.
White space
Designing a minimal website can provide users with a clean and elegant feeling that might be the perfect style for your site depending on your brand or your service. You can save the color for more particular features and leave the rest to the user’s imagination. Take this example from Hausera’s website that uses plenty of empty white space to concentrate the user’s focus on their elegant text and featured product.
Leaving plenty of white space on your page is one of the easiest ways to highlight other aspects of your site so that the user’s attention is drawn to designated places like your call-to-action, product images and portfolio examples.
Dark Mode
If light and white space isn’t really your thing, you may want to consider another website design trend that you’re probably seeing more of as you surf the web which is Dark Mode design. Just like it sounds, this design trend features dark backgrounds against brighter content. Many app developers and users claim to prefer this style especially if they spend long amounts of time on their computers and tech users made a big push for more dark designs last year with no slowing down this year.
Some of the other benefits of incorporating a dark design into your website development include increased contrast, providing yet another way to highlight the important and colorful elements of your page and because of less blue light, there might be a chance users will stay and look around a bit longer.
Final Thoughts
Keep an eye out for some of these trends as you surf the web and skim through new mobile apps. You might discover an interesting new twist on one of these design trends, or maybe you’ll find something completely new that transforms into the next design trend for the year. While minimalism and dark mode have been some popular design routes this year, don’t be afraid to try something new and always remember to listen to your audience and pay attention to their interests because doing so will give you the best chance of predicting the next design trend so you can produce something amazing!