Periodically, we like to take a look at [3] rising web design trends. Here are three more (of many) new web design trends on the rise over the course of 2018 and into 2019.
1. Data Storytelling
Over the last several years we’ve witnessed a boom in animated visualizations and an increased appetite for data representation from a 3D perspective. There is now a huge emphasis on effective storytelling through design, conveying often complex information as simply and as engagingly as possible to a variety of audiences. Designers are thinking outside the box with new, bespoke creations – the older muted palettes ditched in favor of vibrant color transitions paired with minimalist yet bold typography. Greater accessibility to new technology will certainly continue to spawn an increase in the number of designers using animation as a means of storytelling.
Additionally, with AR and VR advancements ushering in the prospect of simulated exploration of virtual models, it’s important that we keep information and data at the heart of what we do. When done right, the overlapping spheres of data science and design will allow for ever increasingly informative, grounded and clear examples of data visualization. Technology has enabled us to more readily mix our real world with our screen-based world. We’re moving on from an increasing desire to add video to our digital experiences; layering them with a depth and richness unachievable not so long ago.
Mixed reality brings us firmly into the ‘new’, with large tech firms committed to innovating in AR. Future design will need to consider our world in all four dimensions. We are already seeing the start of this mixed reality in popular games large brand apps, so these factors will continue to impact the ways we look at, and ultimately achieve great, unique design.
2. Inventive Typography
In the battle for eyeballs, typography is a powerful weapon, and its use on the web has broadened out this year. Typography is powerful and the bigger the better. So while sans-serif styles like Helvetica remain in vogue, designers are branching out, turning to the huge variety of typefaces available. 2019 will see the continued return of serifs to the screen, as well as increasing numbers of sites pairing serif and sans-serif fonts to create a dynamic user experience.
The fact that device resolutions are getting sharper, turning up the legibility factor, is also opening the door for a rise in custom fonts. Designers are opting for typography with tons of personality not only for emphasis, but also for aesthetic effect. All of this, plus the drama afforded by oversized typefaces, goes to show that 2019 will not all be about subtlety, and we can expect to see bold trends continue to develop.
Another type-related trend are typography cutouts. The technique uses a block of color over a still or moving image that appears through clear lettering. Choosing the right typeface and limiting the number of letters is extremely important to making this work.Several sites are doing this really well with bright text cutouts that draw user’s attention to its prime content (like video). Others have used the typography effect on text hover and some have even used it to showcase actual video through letters.
3. Continuing to Push Mobile Boundaries
2017 was a landmark year for mobile, as its usage finally overtook that of desktop browsing. That has meant web designers are more focused than ever on the mobile audience over the course of this year and beyond. We will continue to see designers develop increasingly clever ways to organize information beautifully and intuitively (for mobile), leading to more sophisticated user experiences, with focuses on micro-interactions and gestures over icons and buttons. Simply put, intuitive navigation on a site leads to better conversion
Mobile-first is not just an airy principle but something that needs to continue to be refined into the core design process. Designers will need to consider a great many factors, such as how mega animations and transitions are going to translate into browsers and devices on mobile, where there are basically no hover states and content needs to adapt to reduced screen sizes.
Check back with us again soon for the next round of rising design trends!
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