The digital landscape, as we know it, has completely evolved over the last couple of years. With the pandemic forcing people to stay in, the online space was the escape everyone needed. This resulted in a steep inclination towards a digital-first mindset and it seems to be way forward for the years to come. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, 90% of adults confirmed that the internet has been essential for them during the pandemic.
With the advancements in technology, website designing has had a lot of complexities added to it over the last few years. In the new year 2022, websites that offer simplicity, openness, and clarity, will be the ones to benefit the most.
Web design trends are a lot like fashion trends in the way that while some of them stick around while others quickly fade away. At the turn of the year, it’s imperative to think of which trends will prevail and which will not be so common in 2022. In case you have recently built a website based on design trends of 2020 or 2021, don’t fret. Like every other technology tool, website design can also be updated.
If you are building a new website or planning to update your existing website, knowing what works is helpful. Here are some website design trends that are more likely to prevail throughout the new year 2022.
Micro-interactions are the Way Forward
One of the best ways to keep your audience engaged on the website is to add interactive elements to the home page. Bear in mind that while usability is crucial, it’s not enough to create a lasting impression on a user’s mind.
Interactivity plays a huge role in helping users understand what they are seeing on a website. One of the best examples would be the Nike Reactor website. Users can customize Nike React footwear and try it on through a highly interactive website.
It’s not necessary to go all out with the interactivity as Nike did. Think of micro-interactions like small animations that pop up while hovering the cursor or moving to a particular part of the page. Changing colors, the text gets highlighted, or moving icons gives the page a tactile feeling and keeps the visitor engaged.
These interactive elements are especially helpful to convey complex information in a simple way. If not overused, simple and refined micro-interactive elements can convey a brand’s message much better than words. Using interactive elements without overdoing them on a website can be tricky.
Hiring a website design agency is the best way forward. These design agencies have a team of skilled professionals with years of experience backing them. All you have to do is to tell them what message you want to convey and how. After that, you simply need to focus on ensuring that the design they come up with is captivating and meaningful to your audience.
Modern Minimalism
One of the biggest website design trends that are gaining traction these days is a flat or minimalist layout. A minimalist design will instantly boost your website appeal if done right. One of the biggest misconceptions that many people have is that a minimalist design is all about having fewer elements, lots of white, and negative space.
While white negative space is a crucial element of a minimalist design, it’s not the be-all and end-all of it. The year 2022 might witness designers dabble in minimalist designs with colors. This is particularly true for brands that have a signature color like Tiffany & Co’s teal and OnePlus’s white and red palette. By breaking the industry monotony like this, brands stand out from the crowd.
Overlapping Design Elements
Overlapping design elements is one of the modern design elements that should be implemented very carefully. Modern website design technology allows developers to overlap design elements and not restrict them in the same container. Using overlapping design elements helps build an organized website with convenient navigation.
However, did we mention that this design trend should be implemented very carefully? If not done right, overlapping design elements can hinder the readability of the website in a jiffy. While adopting this website design tips and trend, one must ensure that all overlapping pages are readable and collapse without affecting readability.
Use Smart Content Load
One of the most crucial aspects of a successful website is the user experience. When a user lands on your website, they should be able to enjoy the whole experience from navigating to content. Assuming you already have targeted and personalized content on the website, the next step is to make navigation easy. If numbers are to be believed, around 47 percent of users expect an average website to load in a maximum of two seconds.
Most websites are often slow because of the intensive use of graphics and visual elements. The best way is to show the users what they need to see on the page that they are visiting. An unnecessary overload of information and visual assets will only contribute to the bounce rate if anything. Plan a website with smart content load, which will show exactly what the user needs to see and get better ROI.
Customization and Accessibility
Speaking of accomodating, accessibility is now considered one of the most important elements of web design. Accessibility is as important as content strategy, security, and design, to ensure that your message is clear to everyone including those with impairments.
Accommodating features like system dark or light mode, font scaling, contrast adjustment, and read-aloud is becoming more commonplace. This not only makes your website accessible by one and all but tells your audience that you care. If a user has made a conscious choice of using these features on their device, accommodating them on the website will make them notice and leave a lasting impression.
These are the major website trends that are expected to pick the pace and prevail in 2022. It’s estimated that there are around 2 billion websites in the world and the number is quickly growing. However, what’s not known is that only a fraction of these websites is active. By adopting modern trends and staying abreast with changing times, you can ensure that your website is up and running always.
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