Generally speaking, the latest websites are following more or less a similar design or grid. But this is only because they have become “mobile ready” which is actually more important in the “Mobile Friendly Update” by Google. What are the latest trends and tips for a successful web design?
1. Decrease the amount of UI patterns:
Some of the designers are feeling guilty of following everyone else’s look of websites. But this is not always a bad thing. Consuming the web nowadays is different. Design patterns have changed and not much of new designs when it comes to UI patterns.
The burger menu: Some think that it has become old fashioned but it is the only way to see fully the website which facilitate the surfing experience for users.
2. Rich Animations:
Websites nowadays are becoming more fun, interactive and entertaining thanks to the information transmitted with an animation. However, animation should be used in the right place and there are two types of animation:
1. Large-scale animations: These animations have an impact on users since an interaction between the user and the website is required and they include effects like parallax scrolling and pop-up notifications.
2. Small-scale animations: They include spinners, hover tools and loading bar but they don’t require any user interactions.
7 most popular animations:
• Loading animations: Used to entertain and delight the users. They are better kept simple. They should also suit the identity of the website.
• Navigation and menus: Hidden menus are now trending since they save screen space. For example, when clicking on a specific button, the menu appears.
• Hover animations: When the user’s mouse arrives over a content and a hover effect occurs, the user tends to hover over everything in order to know more.
• Galleries and slideshows: This feature helps saving space for images and entertains the user instead of making him do the step to see the pictures.
• Motion animation: This animation drags the user’s attention. It helps with visual hierarchy. It increases interest and intrigues the user to interact more.
• Scrolling: This animation gives further control to the user since he can determine how the smooth scrolling animation unfolds.
• Background animations/videos: This type of animation adds visibility to the website. But it should not distract the user.
3. Micro-interactions:
This happens with the users from the moment they wake up. It’s an engagement with the website. It helps the user communicate a status or a feedback, see the result of the action and manipulate something in the website. These interactions have to happen almost invisibly. They make the design more human-centered.
4. Material Design: A richer alternative to flat design:
This design uses shadow effects and the concepts of movement and depth, which makes the design more realistic to the user. On the other hand, the growing trend: Flat designs .
5. Responsive Design:
Since most of the time people use their phones instead of the wide screen, responsive designs are booming.
6. Flat isn’t going away anytime soon:
During the last few years, flat design has been around and works with the minimalism concept.