Design trends are constantly evolving. It was only a few years ago when bubble animations and 3D graphics dominated “cutting edge” websites. However, as web design chooses more design trends on data rather than fashion influences, the design trends for 2021 are becoming more subtle. This year you can expect the mobile-first design to rule and colours and fonts to enhance the user experience.
All-in-all, the trends emerging this year will have far more longevity than trends of previous years. Making this year a fantastic time for a redesign.
To help you navigate the most popular trends of 2021, we’ve compiled a list of top 10 trends that will ensure your website gets a modern facelift.
1. Creative & Bold Fonts
Open sans and serif fonts are commonly the go-to for website design because they’re easy to read. However, this year, as design elements are inspired more by fashion, you are going to see calligraphy and graffiti-style fonts become prominent in website design. Essentially you can expect font weights greater than 700 and newer fonts that have a bold typeface.
2. Infinite Scrolling
Infinite scrolling will see a resurgence in 2021. Because by negating the need for a burger menu, 2021 web designers are going to focus on making navigation easier for mobile visitors. Creating a seamless user experience for visitors on mobile.
3. Interactive Graphics
Another trend that is beginning to gain traction is interactive graphics. Most website and graphic design teams will choose to incorporate simple graphics in their design this year. Because of this, you can expect graphics that are very reminiscent of the images available on social media. However, instead of being three-dimensional, as was common in the past decade, this trend centres around interactive graphics with a flat design.
4. Video Backgrounds
Video backgrounds haven’t been as popular recently as design teams try to reduce the site size to increase speed. However, as video file sizes decrease, but maintain their high quality across devices, this trend will emerge again.
Because video backgrounds tend to keep users and visitors engaged in the content for longer. Additionally, these short looping video clips can instantly give your website a modern appearance.
5. Black with Pastel Colours
Colour schemes play an integral part in the user experience. Because of that, the biggest design trend to come out of 2020 was pastel colour palettes, but this year more websites will pair the pastel colour with a black base colour in footers, headers, buttons, etc.
By pairing the pastel with black instead of white – as was the case in previous years – web designers give the website a modern and sophisticated appearance that’s appealing to website visitors.
6. Illustrations
Illustrations are replacing stock images on almost all modern websites in 2021. These usually take the form of pastel-coloured drawings that are quite abstract. You’ll also see these illustrations being adapted in micro animations, making the website far more interactive.
7. White Space
White space is another trend that is popular because of mobile. Because white space allows you to direct the attention of your visitor to the content you want to highlight. In 2021, this trend is going to see the whitespace decrease slightly to add depth to the site and avoid it appearing sparse.
8. Instant Checkout (E-commerce Websites)
For e-commerce websites, instant checkout will be the most significant design change to emerge this year. The instant checkout process doesn’t require users to sign in or sign up to make a purchase. Instead, the only requirement to checkout will be that they enter their card information and delivery address. This design is becoming popular because it makes checkout very convenient for users and increases their likelihood to make purchases. The reason users prefer instant checkout? It is the online equivalent to skipping the queue.
9. Mobile First
Many of this year’s trends are going to revolve around how well the design translates to mobile devices. So, instead of creating the website wireframe for desktop browsing, many designers will begin developing the wireframe for mobile-first and then integrating desktop. This means choosing graphics, fonts, colours and journeys that are more appropriate for mobile viewers.
The focus will be to ensure that landing pages – and other web pages – remain comfortable for mobile browsing even after an extended period and reduce eye strain.
10. Flat Rate Shipping/ Delivery Fee
This is another trend that’s going to become quite significant this year. The trend is also easy to implement for businesses launching an online store or for existing businesses and online stores that are in the process of a redesign.
Because of the events of this past year, online shopping has seen a sharp increase. The data surrounding consumer behaviour suggests that if there isn’t a free shipping option customers tend to shop more if shipping fees aren’t determined by weight or distance and instead will be subject to a flat rate fee.
Additionally, since more patrons are shopping locally, this also lowers the cost to businesses who only deliver to patrons nearby. .
Should You Use These Website Design Trends?
Before you implement any of these website design trends for 2021, consider the needs for your website. It’s critical that when you’re redesigning or launching a website you focus on trends that are going to age well and will not make your website appear outdated in a year or two. A trusty rule to accomplish this when determining what design trends to use – and to avoid having to redesign every few years – is to use a mix of classic design implements with trends that are emerging because of data. For example, white space and mobile-friendly designs are always going to be good for your website. Because these trends prioritize mobile-first browsing which is on the rise. In contrast, the colours of your site should coincide with your branding and not overwhelm your visitors.
Of course, trends that decrease the bounce rate and keep visitors scrolling and buying – like infinite scrolling and one-click checkout – are going to have the best long term results for your website.
Ultimately, the design trends you choose to use should be beneficial for your business and help you accomplish your businesses goals.
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