When was the last time you gave your website a facelift?
Some experts recommend revisiting your website’s design once every three months. Others suggest you should give your website’s design a total overhaul every three or four years.
What’s certain is you should be thinking about redesigning your website more often than you are. This is true for most business owners. While some designs are almost timeless, others become dated much sooner.
You also need to consider technological change. The speed at which the Internet changes means you need to think about redesign on a frequent basis. You want your site to continue performing well for your visitors.
There are also web design trends you’ll want to consider. A design can make your website look modern and fresh. An outdated one can send the wrong message to your audience just as easily.
If you’re thinking about giving your website an updated look, check out this list. We review seven of the coolest web design trends right now. If you\’re searching for inspiration, look no farther.
1. Going Retro is One of the Coolest Web Design Trends
If you love #throwbackthursday, this web design trend is for you. You’ll want to reach back to the 20th century to find inspiration for this trend though.
Web designers are embracing the bright colors and patterns of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some have looked to the 1970s for inspiration, especially when it comes to typography.
Other designers are looking even farther back. Some web illustrations are drawing on the Modernist trend of the early 20th century. Some websites had adopted Brutalist design, and mid-century typography is making a comeback.
2. Gradients and Bright Colors Make the Web Pop
We already mentioned that web designers are looking to the 1980s and 1990s for color schemes. Many designers are adopting Day-Glo hues for cool website backgrounds.
Gradients are also making a comeback in a big way. Combined with these neon shades, gradients make a visual spectacle on your site.
It’s important to remember that color has a profound effect on people’s moods. Bright colors make us feel happy, while cooler colors convey seriousness and professionalism. You’ll want to be sure the color scheme you pick for your website reflects your brand image.
3. What’s Old is New Again with Vintage Typography
We mentioned earlier that one of the coolest web design trends was retro inspiration. Even typography has been picking up on this trend.
For years, companies were attracted to bold sans serifs and quirky, fun typefaces. Current typography trends show a decided affinity for more classic serif fonts. These time-tested typefaces have proved they still have curb appeal, even decades later.
Serif typefaces also improve legibility. More people are realizing this is a key component of accessible web design.
4. Minimalism is Still Going Strong
If you were to Google websites design trends, you’d notice some trends stick around year after year. Minimalism is one of those that have been gaining steam for the last little while.
In a mobile-driven world, a tendency to minimalism makes perfect sense. You want your site to load quickly and display well, even on the smallest screen. Minimalism encourages you to strip design down to its barest elements.
The result is a page that’s beautiful at any size, and loads at any speed.
5. Design is Embracing the Negative
Negative space, that is. Also known as white space or blank space, this element creates an open and airy space on your website.
When used the right way, negative space on your website gives your content “breathing room.” It also allows your visitors to focus on the content on the page. White space leads the eye, directing readers to important information or interesting graphics.
The use of white space is an offshoot of the minimalism trend. You don’t need to use a minimalist website to embrace more space.
6. Creating 3D Experiences in 2D
For the last few years, people have been buzzing about “flat” web design. This went hand-in-hand with minimalism.
Now, designers are experimenting with shadows and other elements to create 3D experiences on 2D screens. Flat designs are now semi-flat, and custom illustrations and graphics have more depth.
Many websites are using this effect to highlight important information. If there’s a button to be clicked, make it looked 3D to draw attention to it.
7. Split Screen Design Might Be the Next Big Thing
If you’ve visited a webpage lately and noticed it seemed to split right down the middle of your screen, you’re not alone. You’ve encountered a website using split screen design. It\’s one of the biggest web design trends right now.
One reason this design is so popular is because it creates more space by organizing content thematically. Many successful split screens use one side for images, while the other contains text.
The advantage of this design is how it adapts to any screen, from the largest desktop to the tiniest smartphone. The split screen appears on the desktop and the mobile screen alike.
The split screen can also show the importance of content. You can highlight more important information by letting it take up more space. This works on mobile as well as desktop.
The asymmetry can also draw the eye and create interest for visitors.
It’s Time to Refresh Your Website
It’s never too early to think about the next redesign. Whether you’ve never updated your website or you just finished some tweaks, you can get started now. Keep these seven web design trends in mind as you update your website and give it a new lease on life.
Are you unsure of where to start with a web design update? Schedule your own FREE website assessment to find out more about how your website can work better for you. Our team of experts can help you create a design that’s both on trend and all your own.
