Design trends evolve over time as companies recognize what works and what doesn’t work. In a crowded commercial world screaming for attention from a finite number of prospects at any point in time, design can make an enormous difference in sales results. Prudent executives recognize the importance of website design.
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Asymmetrical Layouts
The word is out about how eye-catching asymmetrical designs are. While these types of layouts can be difficult to create, artists let the “less is more” doctrine guide them.
Whitespace is central to this style. Embracing the techniques of proportion and layering is also key to achieving the best results. Experts recommend this technique for small websites and effective landing pages.
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Brutalism
As the name of this style suggests, brutalism promotes an intentional raw look that is unadorned and basic. It is the opposite of bright-color designs. Designmodo describes this type of design as bare-bones with Monospace text that is monochromatic. While this style is hardly pretty by traditional definitions, it is bold and makes a definite impression. In a competitive world where standing out is important, brutalism may be one of the design trends worthy of consideration by web designers.
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Mobile-Friendly Design
Marketing executives recognize the need for a mobile-friendly website. Ranking high on a Google search requires that your site is optimized to show well on mobile searches. In order to be competitive and capture a share of online traffic for specific searches, a company must meet this criterion.
Considering the importance of this task, marketing executives often turn to WordPress Design specialists with years of success to help them with this important transition. Design experts understand how important load times and design are for the small screen. Sites that aren’t optimized often suffer in these areas if their website is not properly designed for both desktop screens and smaller screens.
Part of creating a good design for mobile users is recognizing the importance of optimizing the use of the right thumb. Research indicates that most mobile phone users operate their phone with this thumb. Smart designers place the most used elements close to the thumb for easy navigation.
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Retro Designs
Retro is making an appearance on the website design scene again and is predicted to be one of the main trends for 2019. Outlines operate as shapes which translate into type that actually enhances visuals. These outlines often play off of other design elements on the page, interacting with the background or other images.
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Video Content
Videos are fast becoming the “Go To” content of choice for many designers. Video headers are particularly popular in 2019. Companies are in a rush to post videos as pop-ups, background, showcases and instructional, how-to guides due to social media’s rush to embrace them. Designers are expected to get even more creative with new ways to integrate videos into websites.
Dynamic backgrounds proved their value in the past two years and are expected to get even bigger in 2019. Fullscreen video is the design tool of the day as a solution that makes a positive impression without becoming a distraction.
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Virtual Reality
As virtual reality (VR) hardware prices decrease, more companies are seriously considering those design options. With the tech community screaming that virtual reality is the future, designers are already figuring out ways to embrace the technology and use it for innovative designs. WordPress already offers designers practical VR integration tools.
Granted, website design is just starting to use VR elements on websites. One of the ways VR is being used is via a 3D view of a layout or a product. There is little doubt that there will be many more interesting VR design features appearing in website design this year.
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More Text
Just when it seemed text was “out,” taking a back seat to videos and high-tech innovations like VR, it is back as strong as ever. When using text as a design element, every word has to be packed with value for the reader. The right typography is viewed as the key to success using text.
While design is crucial for attracting an audience, it is also important to educate and direct the user. Text has the ability to provide a lot of information quickly and clearly. One of the most popular ways to incorporate text into designs is to work with stacked headlines.
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Emotional Design Trend
Marketing executives have long known that the most direct path to creating a relationship with new buyers is through an emotional connection. For this reason, visual elements play an instrumental role in evoking the emotions necessary to generate action or sales. Remaining competitive in 2019 means tapping into the emotions of your prospective customers.
Strong emotions that must be targeted for marketing purposes are joy, fear, anger, disgust, surprise, sadness, and trust. Relative to these major emotions, colors and images can be selected that will aid marketers in their quest for connection and ultimate action.
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Monochrome Color Choices
Black and white color choices are classic options, if not downright daring. This bold choice seems especially appropriate for sites designed for creative businesses. All colors provoke different images. White is a color associated with words like fresh, innocent, and new. Conversely, the color black evokes an image of strength and assertiveness.
What makes these colors work so well in some cases is the fact that color can be used as an accent against these colors, creating a stark contrast. Accent colors can be used to strategically direct the reader’s attention to a call of action or some other key point. Considering the elegant simplicity of black and white as the perfect backdrop for the most important information on the page, it is not surprising that black and white is always an interesting design choice.
Conclusion
The design trends above reflect the latest opinions about what is expected and what is working in website design. They offer a baseline for discussion and consideration when it is time to consider website upgrades.
About The Author
Rodney Warner heads the team at Connective Web Design and is also a musician, outdoor enthusiast, and ice cream connoisseur. You can find him on his company website or on Instagram.
