Web trends are an ever-shifting landscape, and it can be hard to keep up. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite trends so far for 2018.
Bright colors.
In years past, designers stuck with web-safe colors. But it’s 2018 now (we’re a year away from flying cars, right?) and screens today can handle reproducing vibrant colors. This is great news for brands who really want to stand out and stop playing it safe, and attract and delight site visitors using rich, vibrant color.
Motion & animation.
Like color, you’ve probably noticed a more… animated experience on the web in 2018. Web trends are moving away from static-image logos toward animation, which can take drudgeries like loading, scrolling, and navigation way more fun. More fun means more time on your site, so much so that this could help improve bounce rate.
Depth & shadow.
They’re back! Obviously, shadows are nothing new in web design—they’ve been a staple used to create depth and texture for years. But in 2018, we’re seeing shadow used for emphasis—information or different areas on your site. They’re also added to buttons or elements to indicate they’re clickable. This is a departure from the flat design trend we’ve seen so much of in recent years.
Mobile first.
It’s been trending this way for a while, but mobile finally overtook web in 2018. This is hugely important to e-commerce, as the majority of transactions now take place on a mobile device. Plus, this is part of Google’s algorithm now. Optimize for mobile, and you’ll be rewarded with improved ranking—not to mention an improvement in bounce rates. 2018 saw a decrease from 52% to 47% and it’s expected to keep dropping. Mobile is no longer the weird “big site, small screen” experience where users get so frustrated they log out until they can get to a “real computer”.
Particle background.
…Sure, but what is a particle background? Put simply, it’s a visual element that lives in the background of your site (see some examples here and here). It’s a good alternative to video, as it’s lighter in code and allows background movement. It’s an eye-catching, attractive, memorable way to enhance your site.
Are you using any of these web trends on your own site? If you are, we’d love to hear more about it, and if not, let us help!
