Hooray, you made it to the last part of our web design trend series! In part 2, we mentioned large hero areas, manipulated images, and simplicity as design elements we think we’ll be seeing. Here are the last 3 trends we think the wind is blowing toward this year.
Scrolling Websites
Okay, so you might be thinking that parallax scrolling is so 2013 (or some variation of that depending on how your brain talks). While it’s true that both infinite scrolling or parallax design aren’t exactly “new” techniques, we’re seeing them continue into 2014. This time around, however, the focus is on making it cleaner and more user-friendly than last year’s design. That means less text and better organized content.
Animated or Responsive Icons
How cute! Feel free to implement icons that jiggle, spin, or respond to a hovering cursor. CSS animations are simple and can add that bit of pizazz to make you stand out. Be careful not to go overboard with this- unless it’s your intention to overwhelm and confuse your visitor.
The User is King
The motto for 2014 is “Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should.” Despite newer technologies and more possibilities than before, designers are resisting the urge to add flashy design elements for the sake of it. The key is to examine stats, bounce rates, and other data to understand the user first. As a result, we’re seeing sites that are simpler, load faster, have larger fonts, and more visual content.
So those are our last three predictions for the top trends of 2014. Let’s see what sticks and what gets kicked to the curb by the end of the year. Which ones are you liking so far?