One aspect of web design that all website designers and website creators need to be aware of, is changing trends. As each year, and even each season passes, advances in technology, software, web design tools and more importantly, the trends with regards to what internet users expect and want to see in a website, mean that what might have been deemed a great web design a few months ago, might not be seen as quite as great today.
From the outset, we have to emphasise that what we are talking about here is not simply adding every single new web design trend to any new website that is being created. Not only would that be technically impossible, but it would also produce a website that did not function, and would almost certainly be regarded by visitors as a train wreck.
Instead, what any new website design should have are the latest technologies and design elements that are required to make the website the best it can be. The adage ‘simple is best’ certainly applies to website design so there is no point in adding design elements to a website simply for the reasons that they exist or are seen as the latest fad on website design blogs.
For that reason, rather than list 20 or 30 of the website design trends that are popular in 2021, we are only going to cover 5 of them. Nevertheless, these are 5 web design trends where much of the data and feedback we are receiving about them is positive, both from web designers, and website owners.
Retro Fonts
One thing any web designer will never be lacking in is a choice of fonts for a website. In fact, it is often the source of much back and forth decision making. In 2021, the choice might be narrowed somewhat by focussing on using a retro font. These are fonts that were popular years ago in print publications but have now become vogue again in 2021 thanks to a slightly new look as they used online.
3D Animations
The advancements in graphics and how they can be used within website designs never seem to stop, and in 2021, it is 3d animations that are proving to be one of the more popular ones. 3d animations of animals, people and even products can be used to bring web pages to life, and provide visitors an enhanced experience which should mean they return to the site multiple times.
Audio
Yes, we know audio is hardly a new concept on websites, but amazingly it is growing in popularity again. Part of the reason is a move away from auto-play audio which, let’s face it, drives everyone mad. Now, by giving users the option to play an audio only if they wish to hear it, audio is increasing the time visitors remain on a website, which you should be aware is a ranking factor on Google.
Full Page Headers
The top part of a website page is where most visitors’ eyes are drawn when they land on it, so it is prime online real estate. This is why there has been a move towards changing headers from thin bars across the top to large, often, full-page headers. These can include logos, calls to action, important text, search options and navigation.
Vibrant Colours
The trends as to what colours or more specifically, what type of colours are best for web design are in a constant flux. We have gone from white being best, to dark being the favoured option, and now the trend is towards vibrant colours. It seems website visitors are bored with pastel and plain colours, and now prefer bold, warm, and bright colours.