What’s the strongest asset your business can have?
Some would argue a healthy company culture, while others would think proper funding and budgeting is key. Another answer that may come up is an impressive, well-optimized website.
Having a fully-functioning website that performs well on search is critical to your company’s success. This is how most customers discover you and it’s what many potential and current users alike use to learn more about your business.
You can’t afford to rush the web design process or create something subpar. You should be doing everything in your power to build an interesting website and make it easy for people to find.
This isn’t as complicated as you might think – and it’s actually pretty simple to do if you understand current web design trends. The following is an in-depth look at the top 10 design trends expected to dominate the internet in 2019.
1. Flat Design
Flat design is all about maintaining a site’s speed and mobile responsiveness without compromising its search performance or the overall user experience. It aims to create clean, engaging visuals while also boosting a site’s optimization performance.
This has become the go-to method for many web designers as the value of mobile-first design has increased. It can only be expected for flat design to continue growing in popularity as mobile search continues to gain popularity.
2. Asymmetrical Elements
Whether a website is displayed on a desktop or a smartphone, it has to be interesting. The use of asymmetrical elements allows designers to keep users on their toes and reel them in from the second they arrive on a landing page.
This is because it’s different than what most people expect. Asymmetrical elements aim to create texture on the screen and divide a page in untraditional ways. They focus on diagonal lines and abstract elements rather than playing it safe with centered, perfectly parallel images.
3. Natural Shapes
Natural shapes and asymmetrical elements go hand in hand. A natural shape is anything that is imperfect by nature; it’s not made of perfect lines and curves but rather a combination of different things to create something that users consider natural.
“Natural” in this sense doesn’t just refer to things found in the earth’s environment like trees, animals, and water. It can also apply to machines and tools. Basically, any shape that outlines a thing or object that people can recognize is a natural shape.
These can be used on homepages and throughout a website to create a more compelling and informative design.
4. Icon Libraries
The key to using natural shapes is to make them the main piece of content on a landing page. They’re meant to be big and kind of “in your face.”
When they’re small and simple, they’re best used as supporting details. One of the best design opportunities to use natural shapes as supporting details is with the creation of an icon library.
Instead of just listing your products/services, create a symbol that represents each of the things you do. Then, use this to represent your product and write a little blurb about it underneath the icon. This is the modern, innovative way to tell users a little more about what you do. It’s sure to catch their eye and create a higher level of interest as they browse through your website.
5. Micro-Animations
Up next on the list of hot web design trends are micro-animations. Think of the heart that pops up on the screen when you like an Instagram post or the way that Gmail’s mail icon loads as the screen is loading.
These are just a few of the many micro-animations you interact with every day. They keep you engaged while the screen is performing an action that you just commanded it to do. They make your user experience feel much more personal and memorable.
If you want to keep users coming back or figure out a more convincing way to make them opt-in, it’s time you start using micro-animations on your website.
6. Moving Backgrounds
There are micro-animations and then there are moving elements that take up an entire screen. Such is the case with moving backgrounds. These are basically videos that are being used to set the stage for a landing page.
Moving backgrounds are replacing single colors and flat images. They’re meant to tell a story from the second that a user lands on a page. These can be used to display all kinds of things including a company’s day to day operations, the way they source their materials, and even the customer experience when using a company’s product or services.
Either way, the point of a moving background is to share a piece of your company’s story. Whatever it is that you choose to share, make sure it’s easy to understand and that the video is short and sweet. As much as you want to get a user’s attention, you still want them to explore other aspects of your website beyond the moving background.
7. Bright Colors
This is a long-time favorite in web design, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. There’s something about bright colors that gets people excited. The use of bold elements is a fun way to express your company’s personality and to make sure you stand out amongst competitors, too.
It shows confidence, the ability to push boundaries, and the willingness to go against the grain. Such qualities are respected by consumers in all industries.
Plus, the use of bright colors can make a user’s experience more entertaining. This is especially helpful if you operate in a “dry” industry like legal services or insurance. Putting bright colors on your website will help users feel better as they research topics that are unfamiliar to them or that they find intimidating.
Be careful to not overdo the use of this web design tool, though.
8. Bold Type
Bold type and bright colors can either blend beautifully or they can be a total disaster. The trick is to find a combination of the two that is elegant and timeless.
Or, you might decide to take a bold approach with one and be more simple with the other. As far as bold type goes, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it still has to be legible. Try to stick to fonts that are made with crisp lines. Typically, the more freehanded and abstract a font gets, the harder it is to read.
9. Chatbots
Another web design trend that’s sure to dominate in 2019 is the use of chatbots. These are one of the newer trending elements, and arguably, one the more effective tools.
Chatbots completely transform your customer service. They help you better connect with users and resolve their issues in a faster, more efficient manner – and that’s just scratching the surface!
Chatbots can also help boost conversions and increase brand loyalty. They show users that you’re approachable and more importantly, that you care about their experience. You can also use chatbots for market research and as a marketing tool.
10. Minimalist Design
Last but not least, minimalist design.
Minimalist design refers to the use of a lot of white space and simple elements. It’s not meant to be in your face or over the top. But, it’s definitely made to impress.
The key to succeeding with a minimalist design is to create a beautiful, memorable website with as little different elements as possible. Every landing page should be simple and to the point, yet somehow have a “wow” factor to it.
Some of the best things that make a minimalist design pop are:
- bright colors
- asymmetrical layouts
- icon libraries
Websites with a minimalist design may also incorporate micro-animations or use icon libraries. Some might even do all of this on a single page – another web design trend that’s gaining momentum as we head into 2019.
Master the Top Web Design Trends of 2019 Today
Why wait until 2019 to upgrade your website? The sooner you start putting these web design trends to use, the faster your website will begin to show better results.
Be careful not to use these design tools at random, though.
You still need to think strategically and plan everything out before you start making changes to your website. This will result in the best-looking, most put-together website possible. It means what you create now has the best chance of creating long-term success for your business.
For help turning all your web design ideas into impressive, high-performing results, click here.
