Website design is all about grabbing people’s attention. It’s about attracting customers, getting high conversion rates, getting people actually interested in what you have to offer. We all know that first impression matter the most. Well, your website just very well is the first impression your potential customers get. So, what kind of first impression do you want to send? Do you want to have your website seem in line with the times, to actually look like its form this century? Then you should follow the latest trends in website design.
Black and white
The first trend we see that’s on the rise is the combination of black and white pallets. Indeed, color theory and the psychology behind colours are very important aspects of website design. They create a certain mood, they influence our emotions, and they evoke certain feelings whether we want them to or not. A new trend we noticed coming about is the use of black and white.
White usually evokes feelings of purity, cleanliness, chastity, but also clinical coldness, over-cleanliness… Black gives off a feeling of elegance, and of strength, but is obviously connected to death, as well as darkness. When these two colors are mixed however, they are stark, strong, with powerful contrasting lines. And if you add just a dash of color to this pallet, it will pop powerfully, it will simply pull the eye towards itself.
Fluid shapes
In contrast with the stark, strong color combination from the previous point, there seems to be a rise of organic, fluid shapes used for websites. There seems to be a shift towards natural shapes, with soft, smooth lines. There is a juxtaposition here, between the present and the past. Strong, sharp, cutting shapes of triangles, squares, and other geometric structures are giving way to sensual and wavy, smooth and shapely abstract curves and lines. The former gave a sense of stability and structure, the latter is a bit different. Any style, from quality ecommerce website design to a clothing store, they all could use this.
Namely, organic lines are comforting, sure, but they are imperfect, they are asymmetrical. They find their basis in nature, think of waves, water, hills, and trees. However, there is a spontaneity to them as well. You want to get your web design to feel more real, to feel alive and breathing.
Minimalism
By minimalism here we are thinking of two separate aspects, rolled into one. Namely, first, we have minimalism of aesthetic. The look, the feel of the website, it shouldn’t have too many elements. A couple of lines here, a couple of lines there, one center point, and you are good to go. If you set up a minimal website, you automatically shift and move people’s eyes and attention to one specific element. By having a minimal website, anything that is different on this page will stand out significantly. In a way, it is the easiest and most simple way to make an element pop.
The second aspect of minimalism is the minimalism of design. Human brains are limited, we can process only so much information at once until we simply overload. This, in turn, means that you should only place essential features. Too many features can just sink your marketing efforts. They can teach you how to improve, but that’s about it. Resist the temptation to add a feature just because you can, it will annoy your users, and push them to go somewhere else.Micro-interactions
Micro-interactions are a specific piece of design flourish. If you’re going with a minimalist option, this is just enough to get your content to pop, to become eye-grabbing, without being invasive. Namely, micro-interactions are there to surprise your users, they are little design “events”. For example, red notification dots on Facebook, some sparkles or lighting changes when your mouse moves over a model. These are great for any kind of interactive content you want to use.
Social consciousness
Just because you run a small business doesn’t mean you should include a socially conscious design. Namely, socially conscious web design is a new booming trend that is hopefully going to become a real standard of any website. It is a design centered on embracing people of all ages, genders, religions, and cultures, making it more inclusive and accessible. The internet is an important part of any marketing effort, and you should always keep in mind just how public it is. Add models of various ethnicities to your pages. Set it up so that it’s accessible to the blind and the seeing-impaired as well.
Conclusion
And there you have it folks, a couple of new design trends that are perfect for small business. If you want to overtake your competitors and make the most out of your marketing efforts, setting up your website properly is key. So, include micro-interactions, and try to implement a minimalist design. Remember that black and white are all the rage now, and try to keep your designs as fluid and organic as possible.
