8 Best Web Design Trends to Apply to Your Business in 2021
Your website is essentially the extension of your brand image. Depending upon the web design, accessibility, availability and ease of use, a user either turns into a potential customer or bounces off to explore other options. Either way, it is the first point of contact for most businesses.
Now whoever said that the first impression doesn’t matter certainly didn’t make a good one to begin with. Hence, in today’s times, your website should project everything your brand or company is capable of. An organic, subtle or bold web design helps the user associate similar emotions with your products.
The key to finding the right design is blending creative liberties with existing trends. Adding your take to what is already accepted allows you to leverage the popularity and slingshot your brand appeal. Accordingly, developing a proper web design with what’s trending is of utmost importance.
Therefore, here are some of the trends that are emerging as staples for 2021.
1.Whitespace That Lets the Content Breathe
Less is more. Also known as negative space, whitespace is the area that is left blank between two elements on your website. While whitespace helps declutter the content, it is also a tool for placing emphasis on what really matters.
Users often skim through the crowded elements due to an overwhelming flow of information. Whitespace allows them to separate the different parts of the design from one another to see the individual messages. Whitespace also creates an even flow for the user to move through the website, guiding them towards what comes next.
2. Asymmetric Layouts for Unabashed Uniqueness
Web designs have been chained to gridlines since the beginning of time. Hence, sometimes every single page looks the same to us. A way to break this monotony is to adopt an asymmetrical layout. This creates an opportunity for you to experiment and put your creativity to good use. Moving away from the traditional aspects, an asymmetrical design adds a fun element to your website.
The important part here is to maintain a balance between the different sections. No part of the page should look heavier than the others. Striking the sweet spot between being too crowded and too minimalistic is how you can ace this trend.
3. An Option for Dark Mode
2020 saw the foundation for Dark Mode; 2021 shall see its rise. Dark Mode has many benefits rolled in one. It de-stresses the eye in low light environments, creates a contrast for design elements to be seen more clearly and builds an exclusive aesthetic lending an elegant look.
Adding a toggle to switch between light and dark mode is quite the rage now. With mammoths like Apple, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp inculcating it, the adoption is expected to be more widespread as we go forward.
4. Scrolling That Takes You Places
Pagination, infinite scrolls and load more options on a vertical grid are a thing of the past. Every social media platform adopts the same approach to save time and resources. A horizontal carousel is now trending. It enhances the user experience by delivering higher value in the same category than encouraging endless scrolls.
Playing with the scrolling speeds for the foreground and background, web design allows you to add a dynamic aspect to the traditional move. It makes the website seem interactive and engaging rather than repetitive and stagnant.
5. The Entry of Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is said to change the face of user experience in the coming year. Websites like Airbnb and IKEA have already adopted this trend to gain trust and bring an exceptional standard to the table. The changing times shall see more and more brands going for VR to provide immersive experiences, such as exploring a retail outlet or handling the products on offer.
Earlier, sites with multiple images and 360-degree views saw higher conversions. This might be replaced by virtual reality and all its offerings.
6. 3D Elements of Design
Web design is not a stranger to 3D elements. They have been around for a long time adding aesthetics to pages that rely on the technology. The part that is expected to boom in 2021 is how they are used to create an interactive environment for the user.
3D menus and maps hold the potential to make the websites accessible and fun to use. The new functionalities may change your potential consumers’ perception, making them see your brand in an energetic or futuristic light.
7. Bold Typography Adding a Human Touch
A heading is what your visitors go through first. Think of it as the first words that you say when you meet a new prospect. While what you say matters a lot, how you say it matters even more. Bold fonts that make the point clear, legible and emphatic are what 2021 are going to be all about.
A varied form of typography can also help create a spotlight over your different products, services and categories that they fall into. Depending upon the industry, your font shall change, but the ideas you want to project through them shouldn’t.
8. Illustrations That Intrigue
While using the stock photos and illustrations can seem the easy way out, it also makes the web design feel like every other page out there. Unique illustrations allow you to extend your brand persona effectively and deliver something new to the users.
Vector illustrations also load faster and provide a higher definition than other graphics. Open to scale; they can be moulded to adapt to your page. Additionally, digital illustrations accentuate the web design to help users understand your message more clearly.
There will be new trends and technology as time passes. With every move of the Internet, you need to make a move as well. For example, web design in London can be changed with the changing seasons with just a few tweaks to the colour scheme. A little effort on your end can make the user see a different version of you every time, making them come back for more.
That being said, you need to make sure that your individual voice is not lost while following the trends. Stick to your brand values and alter the trends accordingly to truly stand out of the crowd.
