As technology changes and advances, new web design trends appear.  Changes in fashion and taste also have an impact on the visual landscape of web design, and in 2016 we are seeing some new trends in web design that we love! We’ve compiled four elements of website design that we feel can make a whole world of difference to your site…

 

 

Layout

“Minimalistic” has been a continuing theme in web design for the last few years; your layout is a huge part of your website’s communication. A simplistic layout makes it simple for your audience to navigate and read your website. There’s nothing worse than feeling lost in a website! Think about keeping your navigation menu down to around six titles; this makes it easy for a customer to get straight to where they want to be. Modular layouts are increasingly popular; and colour/shapes can be employed within modules to help the reader distinguish between each module and what it contains. A large header image with text can act as a headline; if you have something important to say, say it loud and clear on the homepage and let people know what you’re about with the first click.

 

Typography

This is one we’re particularly happy about. An increase in the use of creative, aesthetic typography means your site can communicate personality and brand through type. There are so many great fonts available, it’s well worth thinking about how a big bold headline or a decorative, hand-drawn font could draw attention and add a bit of joie de vivre to your site. It’s becoming much more acceptable even for corporate companies to use illustrative typography in bright and striking colours, so don’t be constrained by what you think is “safe”!

Imagery

If we’re honest, most of us probably prefer looking at pictures and video more than huge tomes of text. Image-rich content, especially on your homepage, can help draw in your customers and, if targeted correctly toward your audience, is a great way to engage people. As browsers get faster at rendering imagery, we can use higher resolution photography and imagery to create more visually striking websites. We offer photography services for those of you who aren’t sure where to start with imagery for your site, and our in house design team are wizards at creating graphics and illustrations.

Responsive Design

More a necessity than a trend these days, responsive website design is the way forward. A responsive website delivers optimal viewing and user experience across a wide range of devices (think desktop, tablet, mobile phone etc) with minimal scrolling and resizing as well as easy navigation and readability.

A responsive website is the solution to the common problem of having issues with static websites on smaller devices, and ensures that when a potential client finds your website they will have a better experience and will be able to find all the info they need with ease. Websites that are mobile friendly are also rated higher by Google and lead to more conversions. We offer responsive website design and will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about converting your site to a responsive platform.

If you have been inspired by any of these trends, we would love to talk to you about how we can implement them on your site. Get in touch to speak to one of our designers and we will do our best to answer your questions and come up with a solution that works for you!