Many brands, big and small, have been giving their websites a stylistic refresh. These little touches can be simple tweaks to their logo and typography or added design elements that attract more attention, like illustrations and animation. There’s a reason for doing this and it’s quite simple; users are attracted to good design.
It’s All about the User
Users respond better to a well-designed website. We all know this intuitively when we’re searching for something on the internet; we are more likely to stay on a great site for longer and finalize purchases when the site is well-designed. And design trends seem to change every couple years. The list below is our look into the 15 creative website trends for this year. Many of these will be in style for quite some time, just because of their user-friendly ways. So, we encourage you to read about them and see how your site measures up (examples included).
10 Creative Website Trends
- Organic Shapes
Web pages usually have a grid structure with squares and rectangles that give a sense of stability, but can feel clunky, too. Organic shapes are irregular and asymmetrical, providing depth to make page elements stand out. These elements are drawn from nature itself and develop a visual flow.
- Retro
Those styles from years past never went away—they went underground. Experimenting with nostalgia finds the juxtaposition between the old and new. For many young people, retro designs can feel new or unique. Retro design elements can make a brand standout.
- Asymmetrical Layouts
Pages don’t have to be on a grid anymore. It’s easier to make them more asymmetrical and it’s becoming more common to see out there. This pushes the boundaries of design, which helps draw more attention.
- Illustrations
Companies looking for depth to their design should take a serious look at 3D and iconoclastic illustrations. The creative potential illustration brings can extend a brand outside what their competition is doing.
- More Video
Integrated video captures the audiences attention quicker than text. It also boosts SEO ratings, because users spend more time on the page. Video is strategic.
- Overlapping Design Elements
Much like asymmetrical designs, overlapping elements can bring more emphasis to content on the page. It also makes pages look more three dimensional when boxes are layered.
- Large Navigation
Experimentation with navigation isn’t a new thing. So, websites choosing to push the boundaries with their design should look at making their navigation very large and the focal point of their site.
- Storytelling
Better writing, such as storytelling, will keep visitors on the page. This is also a strategic move. More companies are looking for an emotional response from their marketing and this is definitely a great way to get it.
- Serif Fonts
The style, arrangement, or appearance of letters on the page matters. Serif fonts create elegant titles and sophisticated headlines. Some can be retro with a modern twist.
- Screen-Dominating Text
The text does the talking. It’s a headline they can’t ignore. Much like large navigation, this design makes the message the focal point and it should also entice users to investigate.
This is not an exhaustive list. There are other design choices on the front end that draw users in, and on the back-end there are ways to enhance performance, such as programming and plugins. However, some of these backend adjustments tend to require complete overhauls, depending on your current developer’s method. Some of these are best to add when you are completely redesigning your website, which you should consider doing every 3-6 years.
Our examples above are supposed to spark your imagination, hopefully showing you a few tweaks that may increase traffic and conversions on your website. Let us know which ones are on your wish list.
