The web has evolved exponentially since its birth in 1989. And that evolution is continuing in many exciting ways; so many, in fact, that it’s hard to keep up. We’re here to help with a look at seven web-design trends you should know about:
**Breaking the grid
**“The grid we’ve always relied on to bring harmony and logic to our layouts has itself become a kind of constraint,” writes John Moore Williams on the Webflow blog. “Which isn’t to say that broken grid layouts ditch the concept of the grid altogether — instead, they allow images and text elements to drift into and across the gutters that usually serve as hard stops in more sober layouts.”
Belletrist uses white space to complement its “broken-grid” design.
**Bold typography
**“If you have something to say, say it boldly,” says the Optuno blog. “The users of 2019 want to see conviction and authenticity in websites. One way of showing this is by using bold typography. Ditch the cursive and thin-lined fonts you’ve used before. This new trend is all about letters being clear, thick, and obvious.”
The simple Warby Parker homepage features compelling typography, a humorous message, and images of the company’s products.
**Vibrant, saturated color schemes
**“More designers are becoming courageous in their approach to color—including supersaturation and vibrant shades combined with headers that are no longer just horizontal but reimagined with slashes and hard angles,” writes Lennart de Ridder at 99designs. “Vibrant and even clashing colors can be useful for newer brands hoping to instantly attract their visitors’ attention, but it is also perfect for brands who want to set themselves apart from the ‘web-safe’ and the traditional.”
The bright colors of the Creddy homepage compel visitors to dive in.
**Natural shapes
**“Instead of geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles, and triangles with sharp corners, web designers are freshening up designs with thematic organic shapes with flowing lines that signify approachability and comfort,” writes cmds. “Natural shapes are mainly nature-based but can be ‘man-made’ with spontaneous, free-drawn elements such as paint blobs.”
A “natural” blob is the centerpiece of the Nasty Creatures design.
**Brutalism
**“Brutalism is all about getting to the bedrock of what a website is,” writes Matt Naus at Pagestead. “It aims to replace the over-designed experiences we’re currently used to, leaving us with just the brutalist building blocks. These sites can look great if executed correctly. This web design trend is characterized by big bold blocks of colors that are safe for the web (think default), gradients, and copious amounts of white space.”
Kanye West’s Yeezy Supply ecommerce site employs a spare, brutalist design.
**Big, bold lines lines
**“When used correctly, big, bold lines can visually carry a screen, or draw attention to the complementary image,” writes Jerry Cao at UXPin. “When using thick lines, you want to pay attention to both color and intersection points. Color will determine where the user’s attention goes, whether drawing attention to or away from the lines. Intersection points inherently become focal points, so use them to your advantage.”
This Mountain Dew design uses animation and bold lines to draw in visitors.
**Pages that seem to scroll forever
**“Getting all of your vital information above the ‘fold’ was a design principle many marketers previously clung to, believing that if a visitor couldn’t see the CTA button, they would never convert engage with you further, or purchase,” writes Fahad Muhammad at Instapage. “That practice is dead.”
Magicleap uses long scrolling, animation, and color to create web-design magic.
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