Web design trends are rapidly changing by what seems like the day, which can make staying on top of such changes a challenge for many business owners. Trends that were once a hit yesterday are now just a distant memory. We know that technology advancements and cultural changes play a critical role in how we communicate, digest information, and essentially live our daily lives. What both also contribute to, is the ever evolving web design world!
So what’s happening in the web design world in 2021? This year, due to COVID-19, we have undergone considerable changes in digital design. Having been placed in quarantine, and forced to work from home for many employees, we’ve had to delve even deeper into digital creativity, embracing unique design opportunities that accommodate these challenges. Designers are turning to unusual colour schemes, novelty typography art, 3D simulations for ecommerce, and more.
Let’s take a closer look at these emerging web design trends for 2021:
Interactive 3D Content
Designers are taking their 3D game to the next level. Due to losing many in-person life experiences this past year, web designers are using 3D immersive experiences to go beyond the repetitive rectangular zoom grids. These visuals will be highly impactful, going from a minor design element, to becoming a major focus on a page. Many designers are working with photos and illustrations, combining the two, while others are implementing movement and animation. Each approach is bound to help a site stand out amongst its competitors’. More specifically the goal behind interactive 3D content will be to successfully maintain the viewers attention, while dramatically reducing the bounce rate of a site.
Gradient Colour Scheme
Gradients are a huge trend this year, and have come back stronger than ever before. While they have been used in web design for several years, in 2021 graphic designers are becoming more experiential, using different colours and affects to create high contrast. Gradients will give off the illusion of depth, achieving a modern look and feel.
Hand Drawn Elements
While this trend saw a massive influx in 2020, this year brings an even larger focus on the benefits of a human-centered approach to web design. These elements are being used to create a personal touch that appeals to the viewer’s emotions. Whether it’s through handwritten inscriptions, hand-drawn icons, or cartoon illustrations, this web design trend offers an excellent means of gaining more traffic to your site through attention-grabbing visuals that speak for themselves. Remember, a picture is worth a 1000 words. This old saying is still totally relevant in today’s digital world!
Minimalism
Minimalism has been on the rise for quite some time; and we’re not just talking about lifestyle, personal attire or interior decor; web designers are also taking note of what minimalist design elements can do in attracting more people to their site. When there’s an overuse of animation, objects or fonts, it can ruin a user’s experience or create a sense of overwhelm. The goal this year is to create sites that are free from design clutter; meaning, unless a design aspect is in place for a particular purpose, it shouldn’t be there. Why? A cleaner website typically translates to a lower bounce rate and improved user-experience.
Use of Emojis
Widely used on social media, emojis create a reaction and response, encouraging immediate interaction. Just as on instagram, snapchat etc., web designers can use emojis to lighten a mood or communicate a specific emotion. Emojis are friendly and recognized worldwide by everyone and the added benefit is that the feeling being portrayed can be done with an emoji alone; there is no need to include text or other design elements alongside one. A powerful yet simple tactic we will definitely be seeing more of in both print & web.
The Netgain SEO team is dedicated to providing cutting edge web design techniques and strategies, going above and beyond to create sites that generate traffic, leads, and sales. Our graphic artists have a knack for creating exceptional websites that get you noticed – even in a crowded marketplace.
Let our creative team work with you to design an impeccable website that reflects these key emerging web design trends in 2021. Reach out today to get started!