7 Web Design Trends To Watch Out For in 2023

7 Web Design Trends To Watch Out For in 2023

A new month brings new ideas, goals and trends to improve the quality of life and its experiences.

Web design isn’t quite different.

Every so often, web designers roll out new standards or trends on how to engage digital audiences through upgraded UI and UX experiences.

These ideas can be forward-looking, driven by technological advancements and new paradigms in design. Or, they can draw inspiration from the past to evoke familiarity and establish a connection. Either way, the web design community ought to get up to speed.

If you’re wondering what’s driving web design in 2023, here are seven trends you must reckon with.

3D Illustrations

There’s no denying that 3D illustrations have been a big part of web design over the last few years. What’s poised to change in 2023 is that 3D illustrations are now becoming all the more engaging.

All thanks to how Metaverse has swept the World Wide Web, 3D illustrations are now being blended with dimensionality, full-page effects, 3D Avatars, expansive designs and illustration layering.

There’s also good news for designers who aren’t experts at 3D illustrations. Many 3D asset libraries are available online for developers to build upon. So, making the most of this web design trend for 2023 even for newbie designers certainly won’t be an uphill task.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Let’s not be surprised if “ChatBot” is the most-used word in 2023!

Increasingly, businesses across all industries are exploring how artificial intelligence and chatbots in particular can help them serve their audiences better. This revolutionary piece of technology has found its way into the web design world too.

Visually appealing chatbot designs are now a big part of web design. Clients ask developers to curate simple yet engaging UI and UX features for chatbot interfaces.

What’s more, artificial intelligence has also made its way to making web design easier. For example, Canva’s color palette library automatically generates a range of colour palettes based on the preferred colour you specify.

So, AI is not only becoming a feature in web design but also an aid to web design. Get ready to embrace it in every way!

Video Content

Here’s the truth:

We remember something better if we watch it rather than just read it.

Studies show audio-only information has a 10% retention rate after 72 hours, video-only information has a 35% retention rate but a combination of both has a whopping 65% retention rate!

The web design world is finally waking up to this revelation and how:

  • Meta has recently launched a Make-A-Video artificial intelligence that produces short videos from image prompts or audio
  • OpenAI’s DALL-E creates images and art from text descriptions
  • Google Imagen Video brings the text to life by diffusing it into high-resolution videos

Suffice to say, video content is going to sweep web design and user interface in a big way in 2023!

Shared Expertise & Web Design Frameworks

Accessibility is back in a big way in 2023 after the surge of open-source software in the past 2 decades.

Resource websites, software developers, creative agencies and the entire design community is beginning to recognize the value of shared expertise. This is a win-win situation for all.

Let me explain how.

Creators believe that sharing their expertise for free through shared frameworks and resource websites increases brand awareness and helps grow the sales of their premium products. This couldn’t be more true.

On the other hand, budding web designers and developers stand to benefit greatly from these shared frameworks and gratuitous design expertise. If you’re a budding web designer, here are some sources for free resources from the best in the industry:

  • Finsweet’s Client-First is a set of guidelines and strategies to help the design community build websites using Webflow
  • Made in Webflow where you can find the best web designs as templates you can clone
  • The ultimate designer dashboard from Trist Adlington offering expertise on Notion templates

These resources are a big boon to all emerging designers and the overall web design community.

Revamping the 404 Error Page

Let’s face it:

Nobody hates hitting the dreaded 404 error page.

This dead-end means the URL you are looking for isn’t found, doesn’t function or simply doesn’t exist.

Come 2023, web designers are creating an interesting spin on the 404 error pages. From funny animations to engaging mini-games and even subtly slipping in branding elements, 404 error pages are the new playing ground for web designers.

This rather amusing trend in web design not only amuses browsers but also takes brand engagement to the next level. It shows that brands are more than willing to engage with their audiences, even if they have run into each other by error.

Nostalgia

Millennials are the first generation of internet users. We have seen the World Wide Web grow from simple and novice interfaces to the massive and dynamic persona it is today.

It is no wonder then, that nostalgia is a big trend in web designing.

A contrast to the ever-so-immersive interfaces, web designers are embracing the good-old simple web designs from the 90s. The so-called “Y2K aesthetic” is ruling the roost in web design trends in 2023.

Some ways to capitalize on the Y2K aesthetic on your web design include:

  • Music and art from the 90s
  • Simple, text-heavy layouts with an understated white background
  • Pixelated icons
  • Monospace or sans serif fonts

Dark Mode

We all do it:

Staying connected to our devices and browsing on the go. In such situations, optimizing battery usage and maximizing engagement time is paramount. That’s where dark mode comes in.

Dark mode for apps, smartphones and even websites has been around for a while. While we know and leverage the benefits of a dark mode on our smartphones in terms of optimizing battery and ease of reading, the web design world is slowly realizing its benefits even in the user interface.

Final Words

So, there you have it.

The top web design trends for 2023 are here for you to absorb and leverage. Now over to you – we would love to know what you think about these ideas, or how you’ve successfully adapted these in your web design projects. Leave us a comment and share your thoughts on the future trajectory of web design.

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