Overall the trend is towards simpler, minimalistic sites with greater attention to fonts and typography. Forget about stock imagery showing globes, lightbulbs or faceless people sitting at desks and make way for hand drawn sketches that define originality or icon style sites that get noticed quickly and are a delight to the user.
While Web innovation is unpredictable, some clear trends are becoming apparent. Expect the following 10 themes to define the Web this year. Why these particular themes? Simply because they are eye catching and deliver messages in a more concise way.
1. Typography
Started in 2009 it will continue to lead the way in web design purely because the typography becomes an integral part of the overall design rather than a liability. Designers will be using larger, more exciting fonts in place of boring text. In short a website that utilizes Typography as its main design element will be more interesting to a reader than overloading the same site with tons of photos.
2. Minimalist
Forget the old school minimal websites. Websites of 2010 will continue to feature lots of white space but with bold typology and surprising color schemes. Not all minimal websites will agree with the notion of black and white simplicity. Although minimalism is by nature muted, it will also showcase fresh colors. Minimalism isn’t cold, it’s warm and too the point.
3. Sketchy - Hand Drawn
These designs are not exactly headed to an art museum, but they do convey a sense of whimsy, and blur the line between cold web and personal interaction– the ultimate goal of the internet. Sketch in 2010 will become more elemental, and not as much the main focus of a web design. It will be used to personalize standard web copy in new and exciting ways. Love it or hate it, these sites stand out from traditional graphics and give a site a unique, personalised look.
4. Magazine Layout
Many sites will be gearing towards this look in 2010, with short concise articles that are easy to read with sharp concise information. This trend will be especially stong within the blogosphere. Expect this trend to grow and continue to evolve.
5. Huge Images
Nothing delivers a message quite like this trend. It creates a visual impact that is so strong it's doubful that the visitor will forget you. Tipped to be the top mainstream trend during 2010 you can guarantee that a site using this design will have no difficulties engaging users.
6. One page layout
One pay layouts challenge you to edit away what’s unnecessary. In 2010, this trend will move away from the quirky navigation and become more minimal in its approach. Think of these websites as business cards rather than websites.
7. Retro
Retro designs are here to stay but retro can be hard to use, it needs to incorporate three key elements, colour, photography (preferably old) and typefaces that fit in with the overall design. Get all three elements right and you have a winner, get it wrong and you have a disaster. In 2010, retro design will be expanded as designers find new ways to honor vintage art.
8. Icons
Icons can communicate lots of information in the simplest way, so it's no wonder that they will remain so popular in 2010. The web is an environment filled with impatience, wandering eyes and easy distractions. Icons show users where to go for what they need. Quickly scanning images is far simpler than scanning text. Icons cut through visual clutter and guide visitors to the content they are most interested in.
9. Massive Footers
So often it's an area that's overlooked by designers, a place where a few random legal links are dumped and forgotten about. In fact footers for most sites serve no purpose at all beyond framing a page. That's a real shame because footers can be put to good use. 2010 will see footers being exagerated even more than last year, making them less of an afterthought and more of an integral part of the site.
10. Giant Type
If you need to beat the user over the head with a message then use this trend. Using giant type employs the natural and organic beauty of typefaces and provides a megaphone with which to speak. The jumbo-sized type will become the focus of the page if you make use of the style, all you need to do it make sure you say something important!
The key to all of this is, of course finding a style that suits the personality of your business and the overall objective of the website. That's here we come in....we'll take the time to find a style that defines your business, your personality and your products....so you can be a winner on the web.
Email: michelle@yourwebstar.co.uk
Tel: 01625 821072
Mob: 07784 128016
Resources: WebStar did not design all these examples of trends. They were sourced from various articles and websites.
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