There is no need to say that a website’s information has to be clear and accessible from all devices. Simultaneously, the design always aims to be eye-catching, different from others, and fresh. It always parallels technology and represents current social tendencies, moods of the people, and short-term fads. Last year almost everybody’s screen time increased, and many users find it devastating. People spend hours at home, having most of the communication flow in the messengers, and got even tired of the ordinary ones. So, now they have to choose new mod versions of fav apps, e.g. GB WhatsApp download. To better user experience, designers make websites less noisy, more straightforward, and pacifying. Also, we feel a bit bored with the current state of affairs and seek to be entertained. The excess of screen time and a lack of novelty are the two factors that influence web design trends 2021.
Let’s look at the web design trends that help decrease the pressure of information yet deliver the message clearly and make a user’s life a bit more fun.
Soft and Gentle Colors
Bright colors are still being used to get a user’s attention, but they give way to faded shades and less intrusive color schemes. Blurred colors and a gradient make an image look softer while bringing tranquillity and peace of mind to a user. Natural colors and organic shapes make time spent gazing at a screen less tiring and a little bit more relaxing.
A soft and gentle design doesn’t mean a minimalist one. The latter is still strong, but the tendency toward an exquisite and elaborated design with a soft retro touch.
Web Design Trends 2021 – Dark Mode
A space on a web page used to be white for a good while. A black backdrop of a site makes design elements look more contrasting and, therefore, more noticeable. The dark mode is elegant, but it also lets a device use less energy, which is important for portables. It is less eye-straining for human eyes as well.
Some websites offer a dark mode option for mobile devices only, but the trend is growing.
Less Intrusive Design
Website visitors want a design to be user-friendly, not overwhelming. It doesn’t apply to colors only. A video doesn’t have to autoplay. There should be a clear option for a user to choose whether to play it. The same goes for sound — there always should be an option to switch it on if one wishes so. The default mode is sound off. Animation has to be slow and floating.
There should be much so-called white space on each page, which doesn’t necessarily mean white-colored nowadays — but empty, free from any information, text, or image. Web pages with a lot of negative space breathe through and don’t scare a user with excessive content, thus making their experience more satisfying.
Web Design Trends 2021 – Asymmetric Layouts
A grid placement of information slowly gives in to an asymmetric design. Straight lines are substituted with curly shapes.
Antidesign, a design with obvious imperfections, blurs, and overemphasized asymmetry, is an extreme form of the trend, which heads away from geometric shapes. It might be a temporary reaction to the turbulent times and the long-lasting popularity of a minimal design. Whether this trend will survive long-term is questionable.
Increased Usage of Graphics and Animation
Cartoon pictures, hand-drawn sketches, and, above all, images that combine real-life object photos with graphics are some of the biggest trends. A bright, personalized, artistic illustration makes a website look more authentic, recognizable, and different. Floating design elements, objects that create movement hypnotize a viewer and are to be used a lot.
Animation is being introduced in web design increasingly — buttons, texts, photos – everything has to move. Micro-animation is not that new, but what is important next year is to invite users to interact with small animated elements and spend more time on a website. Turning a cursor into a certain object on a particular page might be an example of the design aiming to increase interaction.
Web Design Trends 2021 – 3d Graphics
This trend is caused by our desire to be entertained, but thanks to technology development. 3d elements add personality to a website and make landing pages look like something unique and modern.
More Customization and Personalization
It is not a secret that digital marketing specialists and search engine algorithms provide us with content based on our preferences and previous search history. The website design trend lets a user customize what he or she sees on a screen, for example, by switching to a black mode. The trend goes beyond this and includes multiple options of interfaces and settings.
It is also about providing different media formats and giving a user a choice to watch a video, read a text, or listen to the audio.
Text Reduced, Interaction Increased
Obviously, delivering information with graphic tools rather than text is not a new thing. It is a bit of a controversial trend since a lot of moving objects might cause noise. Yet, with tones of different texts, we find it more and more difficult to concentrate on words. Storytelling becomes interactive and involving. A user wants complex ideas to be explained with graphics and videos in no time. Still, it is crucial to keep the design respectful, not intrusive.
A video as a background behind a text is placed to give a general idea about a product or service and make an impression. Accompanied by a small text, it helps to save time. The design aims to give less information and more emotion.
Web Design Trends 2021 – Scroll Effects
A side scroll is probably influenced by Instagram and presents a user with an option to move along the screen. Together with other scroll effects, including a preview of a picture, it gives a user the freedom to select information and choose if they want to take a side-track and discover more without moving to the next page. In general, copying social networks’ layouts, for example, adding round buttons for an additional story, is a strong trend of its own right. Next year, the best web design implemented by Alice Wonder will strive to give emotions, tranquillize, entertain, and surprise!