10 Web Design Trends That Will Be Huge in 2018
Learn more about web design trends for the following year, and make your website and online presence as great as possible.
Web design, in general, is obviously a very personal thing for every company and business brand. This is why the following list of web design trends that will have a popularity boost in 2018 is not something definite that you have to follow at all costs. After all, the most important thing is to provide a functional interface and great user-experience while making sure your branding is strong. However, if you want to keep up with the trends, and innovative approach is not something your company shies away from, the following web design trends can make a world of difference for your brand. Not to mention the brands that are still in their start-up stage.
Web animation
One of the obvious web design trends that has taken the digital world by storm is animation. People simply want to understand the info presented to them in the fastest way possible, and if it’s entertaining as well, you have your winning web strategy. Some of the most popular forms of web animation today, (with the expected popularity rising even more as we head further into 2018) are undoubtedly animated brand logos, website icons, and GIFs.
“Animations have shown and will continue to show the brand’s strength in our digital world, giving a strong personality to the brand, making it less static and more dynamic.” — Bruno La Versa, senior digital designer at Lightful
However, even though animation in web design is definitely fun and innovative, the goal is to always improve user experience and make the whole project truly great. This premise doesn’t include using animation just for the sake of it. Essentially, throwing animation in when you don’t have a concise plan and/or a good reason for using it can only make your branding seem weaker and your brand unprofessional. Animation can be truly great when used right, but you really have to make it purposeful.
More interesting colors
In general, there are some rules businesses can follow in order to choose the best colors for their branding, especially when it comes to their website. In 2018, the trend that has started last year is only going to get bigger. We’re talking about more freedom and creativity when it comes to using branding colors for your digital business representation. Of course, the trend also includes logo designs and other branding marks of new businesses. It’s really important to conduct careful analysis in regards to color combinations, especially if you plan to use bolder ones. Just like web animation, unexpected and bold color combos can work extremely effectively; if not realized well though, they can put off your target audience.
Innovative typography
When it comes to psychology and web design, or visual impact and boldness, together with animation and colors, typography is going to play an important role in 2018, too. Big and dramatic fonts will be more popular than ever. However, the surprise trend in web design when typography is concerned is the acceptance of serif fonts on the screens and branding in general. What’s more, the mix of both serif and sans-serif fonts seems to be making way to the top of the attractive typography trend list for 2018. Finally, custom-made typefaces that are not only bold and dramatic, but also aesthetically pleasing with a touch of personality, are definitely going to be the most interesting and highly anticipated change of pace in the digital world.
Flat design 2.0
Flat design, as we know it, is still going to be very popular in 2018. However, the need to get the best of both worlds when it comes to old-school hyperreality and modern minimalism resulted in flat design 2.0 (semi-flat design). As mentioned, the trend combines different aspects of seemingly unmatchable styles; flat design has got a little bit of depth thanks to gradients and shadows. This may still be considered a design taboo, but the new trends are always there to break the rules. Not to mention that the use of these added nuances is going to be very moderate. The point is to keep the vibrancy of color palettes and add the subtlety of transitions, all for making the interface more engaging, exciting and functional.
Fun and personal illustrations
Functionality and straightforward user experience are extremely important, but the Internet is filled with simplicity already thanks to the previous web design trends. This year, however, is all about finding the perfect balance in your branding, so that you can still provide functional and simple to use interface, and clear information, but add personality to your site as well. Hand-drawn, interesting illustrations are the perfect way to achieve this. What’s more, they can make the process of understanding information a lot faster and more engaging.
“The marketplace is saturated and competitive, and web design needs to strike a balance between personality and functionality; illustrations are the perfect way to showcase who you are.” — Kelly Morr, senior manager of content strategy at 99designs
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still a controversial topic, and no one can say for sure what the future will bring in respect to it. However, what is obvious is the fact that AI, in a narrower sense, is becoming part of our daily lives. Chatbots, as well as voice assistants like Siri, are all part of AI technology. What’s more, such technology is also making its way into people’s lives with voice operated appliances and other smart devices. It’s only natural that web design is going to have to adapt to this sudden and innovative demand, be it by adapting to the actual use of AI technology, or making it seem like AI technology is present even when it’s not.
Asymmetric layouts
Due to the need to make websites responsive, the creative freedom in website and layout design has considerably dropped. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with following rules, and as a designer, you should always have a set of rules to make things easier for yourself. However, starting in 2017 and strongly continuing in 2018, the creative aspect is pushing the existing rules, making the most out of unique and asymmetric layouts, for starters.
Mobile dominance
The fact that 2017 has been a year when mobile overtook desktop browsing is not a small thing, and it is definitely going to have a huge effect on web design trends in 2018. However, as mentioned, creativity and personality are also becoming a necessity in the digital world once again. Therefore, an unavoidable trend this year is undoubtedly going to have to do with making the most out of mobile design so that it easily fuses animations, illustrations, creative typography, etc. with a functional interface and intuitive navigation.
Kinetic email
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies online if executed properly. Of course, just like websites, it has become essential that email campaigns are mobile responsive as well. But, once this requirement became clear to every serious business brand out there, there remained a question about what other possibilities email actually offers. Once email campaigns are responsive, what else is there brands can do to improve user experience and make the most out of their campaigns? In that respect, one of the major 2018 web design trends has everything to do with kinetic emails, making the campaigns interactive to match the website interfaces, so that the users can engage with the email in almost the same way they would if they were visiting a site.
Ease of purchase and gratification
The need to buy in the consumerist society of today is only getting bigger. The e-commerce boom expected for 2018 will bring some new changes to web design trends as well, especially with more and more people from all over the world buying products and services online. The Internet, web design and e-commerce together make for a plethora of possibilities for your average consumer. However, just like it’s essential to update your email campaigns with kinetic emails, website design and online stores should make for an extremely easy, fast and gratifying purchase that will arrive to customers in the shortest amount of time possible. Personalization of emails, ads and suggested products will go beyond the usual practices — it’s all about tailoring every single part of every campaign to the individual, to boost the chances of conversion.
