Website Design Trends for 2023
With 2023 just around the corner, there is every reason to be optimistic, not least in the website design industry.
FinancesOnline’s infographic below shows extensive reasons why having a strong website is crucial to generating sales.
Notably, 79% of respondents said they would not purchase from a website that doesn’t offer superior performance, highlighting the ever-important nature of having a working website.
But what about from a design perspective?
Well, 48% of respondents said that website design is an indication of business credibility, meaning your overall business is going to be heavily judged based on your website alone.
There are, however, plenty of changes you can make to your website, that increase your chances of turning traffic into customers.
Here’s some design features that you can incorporate into your website that are going to be common throughout 2023.
Animations
Although currently one of the top features for websites for the last few years, 2023 promises to take website animations to a different level.
By changing the way users interact with your website, your audience will have a more enjoyable time exploring the different elements your website has to offer.
Micro-animations, though small, will be significant as they help to guide your users through your website; and despite being around before 2023, the upcoming year will allow them take on different forms. Are they on a curve or wheel instead of a flat plane?
A very subtle way to add some flare to your website is by using animated cursors, which give a fun and dynamic element to user interactivity.
GIFs
GIFs are further animations that will be popular throughout 2023, as still images are becoming less effective at engaging audiences.
GIFs can help engage users and keep them on your website for longer, while also adding unique stylistic elements that lead to a better user experience overall.
Be careful not to overload your web pages with too many unique animations and GIFs, however, as you run the risk of overcrowding pages and having the opposite effect of what you’re after.
Organic Shapes
Organic shapes are set to be a major website design trend in 2023, moving away from geometric shapes which have been popular recently.
Shapes that we see in everyday life such as hills, the edges of rivers and anything without straight lines (and are asymmetrical and winding) are going to help create a good flow between different areas of your web pages, and break up sections of your website without the need for harsh stops, angles, and lines that geometric shapes have.
Voice-Activated Interface
The way we are accessing information is changing and website design is trying to keep up with this.
Instead of using a classic search bar and typing our queries, we are becoming more reliant on voice activated technology and actually talking to our devices.
Many websites currently do not have voice-search, but, as more and more people are using this function, you should be including it on your website. If nothing else, your website becomes much easier for impaired visitors.
Smart Video
Video is the most effective tool when trying to increase engagement, even more so than images and pictures.
But, smart videos are not as simple as just including random videos on your website — they are videos with specific purposes and meaning.
Just embedding a YouTube video into your website is not effective, however. In 2023, you should be creating videos that serve your business goals, and objectives.
Virtual Reality
Thanks to advances in technology, the ability to include virtual reality on websites is poised to take off in 2023.
VR is a very powerful tool for website designers to include in their sites, giving an extra dimension of interactivity to users.
IKEA has incorporated VR well, for example, giving traffic the ability to virtually place furniture in home to see how different items look.
Dark Mode and White Space
There is much talk around white space and negative space around the website design industry going into 2023.
Negative space is another name for white space and refers to the empty space on your website which helps visual elements stand out and work how you want them to.
Letting elements stand out by using white space offers fewer distractions, increasing the overall impact of the web page.
Apple is the king at utilizing white space on their web pages.
Dark mode is great for two reasons. Firstly, dark mode helps to reduce eye-strain, increasing accessibility; and secondly, makes your website appear sleek and futuristic, and in a similar way to white space, allows certain elements to stand out.
Apple is also king at utilizing dark mode.
Typography
Typography can really make your website standout.
Your typography must be readable, but having a unique type-face will really elevate your website design.
Read our ultimate guide to typography here.
Blending Photos with Graphical Elements
A popular social media trend at present is photos (and other visual elements) overlapping with graphics.
This trend is starting to become more popular among website designers, and by adding a creative twist to your images, increases engagement and allows your brand to shine as a creative leader.
Frosted Glass Effect
Frosted glass effects are exactly as they sound — the blurring of an image in the background to allow text and other overlays stand out and become much easier to consume.
In 2023, we expect to see an even greater number of website using this technique to increase the impact of messaging.
These are just a few website design trends which are going to be popular in 2023.
Instead of trying to use them all, find the ones which work best for your website and brand image, and incorporate them to increase the user experience of your website.
