Website Design Trends for 2018

In a world of ecommerce and instant information, it’s important for businesses to adapt to user needs and to make their browsing experiences the best it can be. Get on top of your web design before 2018 with these tips.

In 2017 there was a 25% increase in the number of people who chose to use mobile devices to browse online over laptops and desktops. This means 52% of people now use mobile phones and mobile devices to browse online content. Because of this, many designers and marketers are switching from an emphasis on desktop based content to an emphasis on mobile friendly content. By making mobile content available and more appealing to the consumer, businesses can keep pace with the changing needs of their users and ensure websites are accessible to everyone.

With marketing and design leaders like Apple using triggered animation in 2017, 2018 will see an increase in user triggered animation in many websites. User triggered animations encourage user interaction with the page by requiring the user to scroll or click to start actions or animations on the page or to continue viewing the site. You may have experienced these yourself on sites like Apple’s, where you scroll down to a certain piece of content which then animates and transforms only once you’ve reached it. Trigger animations have been found to increase the amount of time that a user will spend on a page and will tend to lead the user into finding out more information about a product. A great example of a scroll triggered website is for the app Ben the Bodyguard, a password and photo protecting app for mobile devices. Take a look at their site here.

However, it’s important to remember that trigger animations may slow use of the website, so it is important to use scroll triggered animation wisely and effectively.

Other forms of user friendly navigation trends include the use of responsive design to ensure websites look appealing over multiple platforms such as mobiles, tablets, wearables and desktops and the use of bottom sticky elements (such as menus or navigation items that are always present as the user scrolls). Because of the way mobile users hold their phones, it is easier to tap the bottom of the screen, hence the popularity of bottom sticky menu and scroll items are increasing.

The first type of change in visuals to be expected in 2018 are irregular grid layouts. Designers are already shifting towards using more neutral space and a more irregular grid layout for an ultra-modern style. The already popular use of whitespace and simple styles will remain popular. This is because this type of style is easier on the eyes and encourage users to stay on the web page for a longer amount of time, aiming to convert them into a paying customer. It also ensures that text and content is easily readable and clearly conveyed to the user.

A great example of using whitespace can be found on Drobox’s website. They use whitespace to create visually pleasing imagery and to emphasize the importance of organization and cleanliness to the brand’s culture.

Bolder fonts and brighter colours will also maintain popularity as they emphasize a focus on content and make it easier for the user to skim through content. The use of bolder fonts and brighter colours also complements the use of white space. Scaling the size and colour of fonts doesn’t slow the speed of the web page, unlike images. Because speed and instant content is now more important than ever, it may become more popular to use text wisely and images sparingly.

In this online advertisement, ASOS uses bold fonts and bright colours to encourage users to focus on their content and to reflect the culture of their brand.