A great website is essential for any creative, business, or non-profit organization. Unfortunately, web design trends move extremely quickly, and capturing the essence of the moment is by no means simple. Emerging trends come and go at a feverish pace. Here are some of the most exciting new trends in web design that developers and designers are using to make their clients’ online spaces pop off.
Growth Driven Design
Traditionally, web design followed three well-defined steps. Firstly, a need was identified and the market researched. Secondly, solutions were identified and developed. Finally, the site would be released and maintained.
This development structure was inherently flawed. Design trends move incredibly quickly, and audiences lose interest in dated websites. By the time a website was released, it was often too late: the site was born behind the times.
Growth Driven Design is one way in which designers and developers are countering this latency. Instead of attempting to deliver a complete package by release day, a GDD website is delivered in bare bones form. Then, as trends emerge and market research is completed, more is added (or removed) from the site in response to and anticipation of positive results. This agile approach helps companies stay ahead of the curve. Growth Driven Design allows for a continuously evolving, results-driven space on the internet.
Staying Local
While the World Wide Web might be inherently global, most businesses are definitely not. Going with a web design agency that knows a target area is increasingly common. The experts at ALT Agency are one of Staffords leading web design agencies, and they get a great deal of their work from Staffordshire-based companies looking to make a mark on local markets in the Midlands area of the UK.
A local design agency will be more able to tap into regional desires and customs when creating a modern website.
Parallax Animation
Parallax animation is when two elements move at different speeds – giving the impression of depth. This animation style has recently gained prominence in web design circles. This is largely due to the prominence of scrolling. Web designers have been using parallax animation to create movement and depth that reacts when a visitor scrolls up or down a page. It can bring still images to life and create a dynamic feel to a page.
Neumorphism
Neumorphic web design is extremely popular right now. Neumorphic design is a reimagining of the skeuomorphic iconography that was popular in the mid 2000s. It uses minimalist shading and shaping to create the illusion of three dimensional components or levels. This essentially elevates a website into an object in the eyes of a visitor. The page is transformed from an abstract conduit for information to an object that can be explored and interacted with. Giving a website a ‘realness’ narrative is one way in which brands can bring their ethos or aesthetic to life for visitors. Overdoing the leveled, ‘real’ affectations can make a website look rather tacky, though. Balance is everything!