Introduction
Who doesn’t love a good trend? The internet has given us the ability to see what’s trending, and thus, see what’s next for our websites. Of course, I’m not suggesting that you should change your entire site because it has a few colors or fonts that are popular right now. Instead, think about how these trends can help you achieve your site goals!
Bold Typography
Typography is a major part of any design. For designers, it can be an especially tricky and sensitive topic because so many people have strong opinions about fonts: Helvetica (eh); Futura (yuck), and Papyrus (don’t even get me started). This year, we saw some major shifts in the way designers use typefaces — fonts that are both experimental and professional. Don’t be afraid to take risks with your typography — go bold, experiment with new styles and layouts, and most importantly — just have fun with it!
Three-Dimensional Design Elements
The trend of 3D design elements has been explored in the past several years, but in 2022 many designers will attempt to use this style in a more subtle way. With shadows, animations, and layer effects becoming increasingly common across many sites, more emphasis will be placed on incorporating these types of features with a flatter overall aesthetic.
Meme-inspired sites
Meme-inspired designs are a fun, playful way to draw in users. Memes can be used for everything from an entire website’s design to a single feature on an otherwise traditional site. Meme-inspired websites have become popular because they’re easy to build and maintain, but also because they’re helpful in drawing in new users.
Because these sites are generally lighthearted and fun, they tend to appeal more broadly than other types of designs and layouts—though not every meme-based site needs to be super silly! Depending on the type of business you want your website to portray, you could use one or several memes in order to achieve the right amount of humor and personality without going overboard with it all at once.
Geometric Shapes and Patterns
Geometric shapes like circles and triangles have been used for centuries to communicate emotions and evoke certain responses. Now, designers are using these basic shapes in all manner of designs, from flat websites to complex animations. Geometric patterns that create depth can be a useful tool for directing users’ attention to the most important parts of a page.
Gritty, urban vibe
The gritty, urban vibe is all about the themes of grunge, graffiti, and street art. It’s about the themes of streetwear, street culture, and hip hop. It’s about the themes of urban decay and urban sprawl. It’s also about the newness that can come with these areas through gentrification or renewal.
Linework
Linework has become a popular method of highlighting design elements and drawing attention to important aspects of a website. Similar to shadowing, the linework is used for both text and imagery. The strength of the line weight used can determine whether a subtle or bold approach is needed. Whichever one you choose, lines provide an opportunity for some playful experimentation that can give your designs a playful feel while still being functional.
Additional dimensions
- Use of depth
- Use of perspective
- Use of motion
- Use of animation (including 3D)
- The parallax scrolling/parallax effect, which uses the relative movement between multiple layers to simulate depth, is also expected to increase in popularity.
Custom art assets
Custom art assets are a great way to set your site apart from the rest of the pack. These include custom illustrations, UI animation sets, fonts, and even photography.
- Illustrations can be used for logos, icons, or even for background images.
- UI animations can be used to create unique user experiences on your site that make it stand out from others in its category or industry.
Your site can look cool.
Good design can make your site look good, which is the first step. But it’s also crucial that you make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for and complete tasks on your site.
For example, if you run an e-commerce store, good design will help shoppers easily find products they want and process payments in a matter of minutes or less. If you run a news site, good design would ensure that readers get the information they need quickly and efficiently so that they don’t leave before reading all the way through an article (and hopefully sharing it with their friends).
The point is: Good design doesn’t just have to be pretty; it has to work well too!
Conclusion
We’re excited to see what the future holds, and we hope this article has given you some ideas for your own website. Our article is just a small set of predictions and ideas for website designs but it’s our job to keep an eye on them all!
