Website Design is a rapidly evolving field that is affected by a range of factors such as rapidly evolving technology and increasingly demanding user needs. 2020 was a confusing year fully of uncertainty and tiring zoom meetings, not to mention the hours of time spent in front of our screens. The extra 5 hours added to our screen time means that there was a surge of activity on the internet. Therefore more accessible, usable design was critical to gain and convert users.
Design has a big impact on usability and user experience and can be the deciding factor between the success and failure of a website.
Therefore we will outline some coming-of-age trends that we expect to see well into 2021 that are changing the way we perceive the web.
3 Design Trends of 2021
Parallax Effects
Web based animations have been growing in popularity in last couple of years. The way these animations are carried out and their effect on the user have been honed to create truly beautiful, striking effects and interactions.
Parallax animations are an easy and effective way of integrating animation into your site. These consist of a background and foreground layer, the foreground layer (the object closest to the user) moves at a different speed to the background layer creating a sensation of movement.
This effect aims to immerse the user in the digital experience, showcasing a website’s main selling points in an interactive and playful manner.
Minimalistic design
More often than not a complicate design does not mean a good design, the most effective website deisgns are those that offer a streamlined user experience. The misuse of overly complicated features can ultimately confuse users and make it harder for them to take the required actions such as navigating to the get in touch page or finding out more about specific services. Some of the key principles include:
- Uniformly coloured space
- Streamlined user experience
- Clear visual heirarchy
- Carefully chosen illustrations that convey message
Incorporating even one of these design principles in your website can help create a clear, usable interface.
3D Visuals
3D visuals have taken the web design world by storm, these graphics are often integrated into he header section of a page, can be used to showcase products or add a sense of depth and immersion to a webpage.
When utilising 3D visuals it is important to use them strategically so that they add to the overall web experience. They can be used to represent a specific product as a 3D model, the user can see the product with more clarity and can better understand how it works. 3D visuals can also be used for digrams or fused with scroll effects for a more immersive experience.
A good tip for incorporating 3D Designs into your site is to use some of the minimalistic design principles discussed above. Ensuring that your visuals lie on a uniformly coloured background and do not clutter the screen is important for successful web design.