9 WEB DESIGN TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2020
Now that we’ve officially entered 2020, it is time we make a calculative guess on the trends that will dominate the web design world. In regular intervals with technological and cultural changes, the designs are adapted and redefined. Web developers and products designers follow the trends to stay in line with the on-going fashion and connect with the audience organically. A fresh look and feel of the design naturally attract more users or buyers.
Having said that, the only problem with the new trends is they are short-lived. They come and go. So, before you make a brand guideline, educate yourself about the web design trends that won’t become obsolete easily.
Speaking of various design trends, this article specifically focuses on the upcoming design trends that you must lookout in the new year. We have carefully curated some of the most powerful designs that are likely to dominate 2020 and beyond. Let’s have a look:
Gradients 2.0
Minimalism has dominated the web design world and how! Both designers and brands are striving to reduce all visual elements and focus on the essentials, such as key content and functional features. As a result, the viewers are happy to focus only on the ideal and relevant information.
However, with every design comes certain challenges. Minimalism might leave a lot of blank or white space in a design. The ultra-minimalism may even make all the interfaces look similar. To avoid this, the designers need to be extremely creative and have an eye for details and how to fill in the empty spaces without making it dull and boring.
Gradients are a versatile tool and can be used in various contexts such as background for creatives, color filters over illustrations, or accent for functional elements such as a call to action button.
A pro tip: Either bold or subtle, gradients are relatively simple. Use the brand colors to the fullest, which makes a brand identity just by seeing the creative or web designs.
Abstract Illustrations:
Illustrations have been pretty much in the trend, and when used rightly, it becomes a part of a brand’s DNA. There’s no doubt that a well-illustrated image can make a brand stand out. Competitors can, for once, copy your colors and style, but never your illustrations.
Digital illustrations have become a showstopper over the past few years. In 2019, we saw a boom of illustrations. Some of the major brands used amazing illustrations in their visual language. To mention a few:
Shopify
Mailchimp
Dropbox
Illustrations or also known as doodles have now taken a funky turn and common. Their eye-catching power might have reduced a bit because of the apparent use. It might become a little difficult to assume or understand the brand depending on the illustrations if they’re extremely common.
A pro tip: To make illustrations more effective and eye-catchy, add an abstract element to it. Abstract art creates a space for the viewer to depict or assume the meaning of the very design and makes it more engaging. This web designing trend is sure to rule in 2020.
Bold Fonts:
When you visit leading companies’ websites, they have made the use of bold fonts to the maximum. This is purely to highlight their main services and is extremely effortless at grabbing your attention. Also termed as hero headlines in technical language, they aren’t a new entry in our trending list. What’s new in them is the way those headlines are designed. Have you noticed the heaviness and boldness of the font? They put more visual weight on the content resulting in redirecting the reader to that very information. Aesthetically, these bold fonts give your modern creatives a conventional feel.
If there’s one brand, we have to mention who uses this very design trick to the optimum, it has to be Apple! When advertising an iPhone, Apple has gone all out and played creatively with bold fonts. Bold fonts are most popular while viewing through the phones for a better and larger than life effect.
The placement here acts as a very vital factor. If the placement goes wrong, the entire messaging would be a waste, no matter how good the content is. Bold fonts are most popular while viewing through the phones for a better and larger than life effect. Bold typography can be a little overwhelming at times if there’s a lot to read. That’s why you should stick to bold fonts only to highlight the headers or subheads.
A pro tip: Use simple fonts when it comes to other text elements. Also, don’t forget about the contrast – a heavy font will have more impact against a neutral background.
Geometric Shapes:
Simple yet powerful, geometric shapes never fail to give out an appealing effect. It opens up a canvas to the designers where they can play with their own colors, ideas, and designs. Generally, geometric shapes are used to create a visual divisional section.
2019 was a revolutionary year for designs inspired by geometric shapes. Designers started to find more interesting ways of using the same. This trend blends well with other designs, too, like gradients and bold fonts. However, one needs to keep in mind the brand integration with the designs while creating artwork for any platform or purpose. Not every brand can fit into these shapes and lines.
A pro tip: If you’re looking for inspirations for your geometric shapes and designs, nature is where you can find perfect shapes.
Emotional Aspect:
Design is communication. And when we think communication, it would be meaningless without an emotional aspect. Emotions, in a design language, are nothing but delivering and receiving information to the audience. For a long time, products were focusing simply on advertising and marketing their features. However, today’s time demands a different ballgame. The focus has shifted on storytelling and finding an emotional connection through relatable content and designs. Companies are swiftly moving from neutral designs to designs that connect emotionally with the audience. The best example of this could be Swiggy or Zomato – the way they play with people’s hunger moods with their designs makes them stand out in the market.
A pro tip: Add a little humor and vibrancy to the design to get the maximum effect. Animating the same also adds a playful effect to the brand to create delightful interactions.
Data Visualisation:
Humans are visual creatures, and visual data is certainly a sight for sore eyes for them. For many, it becomes easier to understand and evaluate information. Data visualization plays an essential role in stories. It creates more engagement and captivates the audience to learn more about the brand.
One of the best examples of data visualization is Uber. It helps people understand every step clearly, resulting in more loyal customers.
3D and Faux-3D Designs:
For the longest time, 3D was only an option in gaming and movies. However, the designing world has now observed and welcomed a new trend, thanks to the evolving technology. 3D objects are emerging on websites, which are both mobile and desktop versions. By adding a 3D and faux-3D objects in web designing experience enhances the realism of interactions.
Dark UI:
The dark mode has been in trend recently, and brands have picked that up in such a great way. A dark mode is a low-light interface. Using dual-color designs is highly in trend. Two major benefits of the dark-mode interface are: it helps reduce the strain on eyes and preserves device battery.
A pro tip: The guidelines for adapting a dark mode can be very delicate while executing, make sure to use contrast colors to add more effect to it.
Enhancing Personalization:
The ideology of ‘all for one and one for all’ does not fit in 2020. It is essential for the brands to seek ways of giving more attention to individual customers by making their services (user interface, campaigns, and designs) more personalized. This not only results in a better experience but also switches from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a ‘must-have’ experience. With advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, giving a user custom experience is becoming much easier.
Spotify and SoundCloud are some of the companies that have made personalization as their key ingredient, which has helped them gain customer loyalty for a lifetime.
You must be familiar with most of the trends listed in this article, while some might be completely new. Having said that, do not rush into implementing these. Educate yourself and see how well it does fit for a brand. No matter how trending is the design, the designer should stick to their authenticity and implement solutions that give a great user experience.
We genuinely hope you like this article. For more such informative content, stay glued to this space.