With declining attention spans, approximately 1.94 billion websites globally, and growing generations well-versed in internet dos and don’ts, it is important to cut through the noise with a well-designed website.
These 2021 web design trends will help you connect with your audience emotionally to increase brand equity and website performance. From color schemes that will catch the user’s attention to experimenting with nostalgic elements from the past, your web pages need to have the user experience at the forefront of the design.
Here are some web design trends you should consider this year.
Engage The User with An Interactive Website
Studies have shown that emotional responses trigger human decisions. Evoking emotion in your web design can directly impact brand equity and the way you establish trust with your customer. By focusing on usability and attention to detail, you will gain new users and keep them coming back for more.
One way to achieve this is through the colors you choose. Depending on your brand personality, whether or not you choose to include color on your website should be consistent with these factors. For example, If bright and bold isn’t describing your brand, the black and white palette trend might be a better – and more evergreen – fit for your website. White expresses feelings of clarity, renewal, humility. Black is associated with feelings of power, strength, mystery. Regardless of the colors you choose for your site, they each evoke certain moods from your customers, which you can use to your advantage. Focus on using color mindfully to evoke the mood(s) and feeling(s) a site is meant to elicit.
The second is CSS Scroll transformations. These are another great way to engage your user. As a user scrolls down the screen, they are performing an interaction. By adding visual transformations and feedback as the user performs this action, they’re more likely to stay interested. By using scroll transformations, you’re allowing the user to go from performing a mundane task to experiencing an extraordinary moment on your site.
Going Vintage In Modern Web Design
Using vintage or ‘retro’ elements will create an interesting juxtaposition between then and now. This design technique will also have a mixed response from a variety of users. It will trigger memories and evoke nostalgia for some but could even feel ‘new’ to some generations that are unfamiliar with past trends.
What elements make a web design vintage? There are many things to pull inspiration from – vintage specifically refers to anything 20 years or older, so anything from the early 1920s to 1970s would classify as vintage or retro. Pulling elements from poster illustrations, color schemes from vehicles, typography from packaging, and using old photos can give your website the classic feel you’re looking for.
Use Of Custom Illustrations & Shapes
From vector images to watercolor designs, websites will be a form of art in 2021. To continue telling a compelling story and evoking emotion, these tailor-made illustrations, icons, and photographs will help craft your brand identity uniquely and confidently.
In 2019, trends were pushing for geometric shapes, but in 2021, organic, fluid shapes will dominate the web design space. This imperfection will add personality to your website. Adding some hand-drawn shapes, images, and illustrations will connect your audience and brand for an unstoppable relationship.
Minimalism with a Modern Twist
Abstract art has always been viewed through a minimalist lens. In 2021, web designers are taking it a step further by incorporating these compositions as an alternative to photography on their sites. While some may include images of familiar human faces, they don’t necessarily need to for the pages to feel expressive and alive.
Neomorphism is also a popular minimalist design trend in 2021, mimicking physicality through selective drop shadows while being overlaid with semi-flat colors. Previously the flat design approach was gaining traction. However, this era forced designers to rid their users of tactile images. By switching to the neomorphic method, your site can have a minimalist feel while allowing users to better connect to the design they’re interacting with.
In Conclusion
2021 will be the year to experiment; To push the boundaries. To find a way to really connect your brand with the user. Whether you choose a specific color scheme or attention to detail, always make sure the trend you choose will align with your brand strategy and enhance it even further.
Unsure of how to properly execute these techniques? Working with a creative digital agency like clevermethod could be the next step. Contact us to have your vision come to life!