8 Essential Elements Of Modern Web Design

ColorWhistle
Aug 22, 2017 · 6 min read

These days every aspect of modern life is back linked to the internet.

To attract the attention of users, online marketers constantly find ways to display information appealingly through websites.

Simply put, a modern website is the engine of a business.

Every now and then Google changes its algorithm to fine tune how search results are displayed. Likewise, the web development world also makes constant changes to keep up with best practices.

If you try to implement any one of the following elements in your website, you will create an incredible user experience, get a good search engine ranking, boost conversion rates and with it increase revenue.

1. Simple designs

“Less is more” a principle which many graphic designers abide by.

A minimalistic design is designed around the content and uses a lot of white or uniform color. But, the layouts must be chosen carefully because you don’t want to come off dull.

A website that has minimal design will decrease the loading time and give a better compatibility for multiple device viewing.

If you take a look at the iPad mini 4 websites, it uses a lot of white spaces to highlight the product’s sleek design. Plus, the top bar is clear and has abundant of space, which helps users to navigate easily.

2. Hamburger menus

The hamburger menu has become more common in responsive web apps like Facebook and all of the Google apps. However, it is finding its way into desktop sites as well.

It condenses information, has a minimalistic aesthetic, and keeps the site uncluttered. Most of all, it allows the user to navigate a website easily and click on pages they would like to visit. Only if the user wishes to see it, the content will be elaborated.

If you take a look at the Cofa Media, the menu takes up the whole screen and gives a better user experience.

3. Background videos

A video background on the front page is quickly becoming popular and the demands for looped and timelapse videos are high.

Videos in the background can make people take a second to see what it is and examine it. This translates to more interaction with the content on the site.

Moreover, videos can add good ambiance to the site and is a great opportunity to show your creativity.

If you take a look at the KIPP charter school website, they have an amazing background video that showcases their school’s diversity without having to explain much in words. This is why background videos should be an important functionality for a charter school website.

4. Hero images

It is becoming more standard to use hero images in websites as it helps businesses to explain about them without any difficulty. If you use the right image, it will catch the attention of users and they will stay in the site for a longer period.

Hero images are usually placed in the background with minimal text. Before you set the image, make sure it is responsive so that it will automatically change according to the screen size.

If you take a look at Sweet Basil, their homepage has a series of rotating photos that offers immense value to their restaurant. Even the other pages of their website use small hero images.

5. Call-to-action

Every page of a website has a main purpose: to make users perform some kind of action, be it subscription sign-up, purchase or further exploring the site.

To make the user perform the action, the call-to-action needs to be catchy and attractive.

It helps a great deal in inbound marketing, as it can divert users to the landing page where they can fill out forms and become a prospective lead.

If you want to make your call-to-action in a way that users don’t even have to leave the page, take a look at Kissmetrics. They have really done a great job.

6. Hand drawing

There are many ways to give a website character; and hand drawings are a perfect example.

It is a trend that is still prevailing in website design because unlike the other images, hand drawn images give a personal touch.

These drawings are either sketches or illustrations which can be used to portray different styles that will help to spice up your layouts. Make sure you use the right amount of sketches as adding many can make the site look messy.

Take a look at the themanyfacesof website and you’ll clearly understand how cool hand drawn images can be.

7. Flat design

Flat design was indeed a huge revolution in web designing because it changed website layouts, color schemes and much more. Many designers preferred this style because it was easy on the eyes of the user.

If you feel like a flat web design won’t suit your business, you can opt for flat icons. They have also become a standard practice that makes your site look more professional,

You can truly see the magic of a flat design in the Ante Meridiem website.

8. Card design

Card style design was inspired from social media websites such as Pinterest. By using this design, you can amplify products/services in the form of tiles in your website.

It is one of the most convenient design styles as it makes updates and replacement of product/service much easier. The small business web designer’s job is also trouble-free as a whole site update is not required for any new additions to the site.

Take a look at Baubauhaus, a website that feeds the user with everything art-related. Their card design layout is neat and you can differentiate every image easily.

Conclusion

Web designing is an ever evolving subject.

Large corporations and startups are rushing for a website revamp as they want to standardize their designs according to search engines norms.

And moreover, users expect a modern design in every website they visit. So it is essential to make it visually appealing to please the user.

Updating your website as per the current web design trends can help your website look contemporary, stylish and most of all serve the purpose of it creation — user satisfaction.


Call To Action

Are you interested in implementing any of the above features into your website?

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.


About The Author

Anjana Easwariah has been a ghostwriter for the past two years working with writing challenged clients. Currently, she is a copywriter at ColorWhistle managing content related projects. To write distinctly creative and unique content, she collaborates with the website design and digital marketing team. When she is not writing, you can find her playing shuttle or watching crime shows.

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ColorWhistle

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Web Design, Web Development, Web Marketing

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