10 tips and trends for a good web design

With the pandemic related to COVID-19 and that forced the isolation of millions of people around the world, we had to turn to the digital world and in this way the designers had to discover and reinvent more realistic strategies and experiences.

There was an exponential increase in layouts with unusual colors, bold typography and 3D product simulations. 

Applying as many of these trends as possible does not mean that you will achieve your goals.  It´s important to choose which of these trends works best depending on the industry or the customer's target. 

1º Black and white textured illustrations

Mostly used in the past by cartoonists with the aim of replacing large amounts of text in printed publications, it is becoming a major trend in the digital world as well.  A good visual balance between the graphic component and the text will certainly captivate and draw the visitor's attention. 

2º Black outlines

A new web design trend for 2021 is the inclusion of black lines (with different thicknesses) that can work as an outline and be applied in a section, highlight boxes, etc. In addition, the black lines can be combined with real images highlighting the photo. This creates a strong visual impact for the website visitor. 

3º Simple textures

Whatever the sector of activity, design is always reinventing itself and using trends from previous decades. This also applies in web design, with the use of elements widely used in the 90s, such as 2D shapes / illustrations with a single shade of color, without texture or depth. 

These elements can be used in banners or “call to action”, because undoubtedly the main objective is to capture the visitor's attention and click.

4º Photos and 3D images

One of the biggest obstacle in an online purchase is not being able to "feel" and see all the details of the product we are purchasing. That´s why the implementation of 3D simulations is increasing.

For example, Adidas uses 3D simulations, allowing customers to have a better view of the product from all angles, because that is exactly what the shoppers want.

5º Collage art

Widely used in the twentieth century, “collages” were implemented in various media supports, but rarely in the digital world. However, recently they gained strength mainly on social networks.

Collages / tags are increasingly popular in news feeds, story content and online stores (combining product images with additional info). 

6º Light and pastel colors

One of the biggest differences between printed and digital design is the use of light and “pastel” colors. In printed media, lighter colors are more difficult to see, making reading less enjoyable. However, in the digital world, they have the opposite result.In many cases, pastel color schemes tend to be preferred over darker schemes.

By creating a “relaxing” environment, users stay on the website / digital support longer and you will certainly achieve a higher rate of return and engagement. 

7º Use of strong and primary colors

Although it seems to be a nonsense based on the previous tip, strong colors are also a trend for 2021 (depending on the type of project and target), mainly the reds, blues and yellows. They are widely used on sites that target a younger audience and with more optimistic lifestyles.

8º Elegant serif fonts

Traditionally, in the digital world, the preference has always been for sans serif fonts, mainly because they are simpler, more elegant, readable and more adaptable to any type / size of monitor and device. But nowadays, monitors can clearly show more details, making all sorts of fonts easier to read. 

This is one of the reasons that many web designers have used several serif fonts, developing a more "elegant" design.

9º Typography animations

Typographic elements are increasingly popular and are a major trend in web design. For example, an animated set of words can be positioned without being in the conventional (horizontal) format. 

This trend should only be used for “decorative” purposes and never on the main content (because of readability).  But without a doubt, will highlight and bring some differentiation to the product / service you are promoting.

10º Use of emojis

We currently interact digitally every minute that passes, whether through our computers, mobile phones or other digital devices. However, communication is not only through words, but also through a combination of alphanumeric characters and emojis. Emojis, have become so popular that web designers already incorporate them into their projects, thus creating a more captivating and fun design.

CONCLUSION

The information contained in this document represents the current view of 4por4, on a subject as relevant  nowadays as the good use of UI, UX and success of a good web design. Carefully consider which trends would work best for your project and use then. But remember that these are just 10 trends and certainly will appear many more....

To download the entire PDF document with all the 10 tips, click here

Good reading !!!