A fresh new year (even a new decade!) is here, and that means new design trends. At CYBERsprout, we love that nerdy stuff.
Here’s a bit about what we’re expecting to see in the world of web design this year.
Table of Contents
White space and framing.
In recent years, full-width web layouts have been very in. But this year, white space may be making a comeback. Utilizing white space the right way allows visuals to really pop on a page and guides the visitor along the site. White space is also friendlier for wide screen displays.
“Whitespace not only creates harmony, balance, and helps to brand a design, it can also be used to lead a reader from one element to another. Our main goals are to make the website look simple and uncluttered and to deliver information that our readers will enjoy and appreciate. Whitespace should not be considered merely “blank” space — it is the element of design that enables the objects on the page to exist. It is the space that balances things out and reminds us that designs are beautiful. We don’t need to create a layout overcrowded with text and images to deliver a clear message.”
–Seque Technologies
Elements that create depth.
In past years, flat design, meaning simple and minimal design elements, has been trendy. However, this year we expect to see more elements with depth coming into play. This could be through isometric design, 3D graphics, shadows, layering, etc. However implemented, the idea is to avoid your site feeling flat and create more user intrigue right off the bat.
“Isometry is an excellent tool for transforming a flat composition into its 3D equivalent…it is one of the ways to both add dimension and stay within the general mainstream. The more so, the art of a 30-degree angle has a certain charm that is quite difficult to resist. Such works always look neat and clean. They are rich in details appeal to the audience effortlessly.”
Nataly Birch
Overall UX.
A good user experience is vital for a successful website. As such, it’s becoming a bigger focus, especially when it comes to blogs. Many sites are incorporating elements that take some of the work out of reading, such as a table of contents to quickly jump to a relevant part of an article, estimated read times, and progress bars to show the reader their progress.
Increased focus on accessibility.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance has always been important for specific industries, like those in the medical field and government. But in 2020, we expect to see more websites making the effort to be ADA compliant and all-inclusive. This can be done in simple ways, like by adding captions to videos or adding alt tags to images. Color also comes into play, as contrast ratios are important.
By focusing on ADA compliance, sites are not only being all-inclusive, but are also expanding their potential target audience to include those with various disabilities. Furthermore, being ADA compliant can increase a company’s search engine optimization efforts.
