Trends in Web Design for 2018

Web/mobile designers are always subject to changes in technology, far more than their traditional print colleagues. That is why they are always cope with increasing technical challenges, and create websites that are beautiful, adaptable to all conceivable devices, consistent with the corporate style, innovative, clear, and user-friendly all at once.
We saw numerous advancements in 2017. The most important one is that the mobile browsing finally overtake desktop usage. This means that in 2018 mobile functionality will be utilized in ways we have never seen before, while desktop functionality should continue evolving in order to stay relevant. In this article, we have decided to take a look at several significant web design trends for 2018.

1.Gradients

Lately, gradients were seen only in the form of subtle shading. In 2018, they are making a huge comeback, replacing flat design that was preferred web design trend over the last years. Things change. Now gradients colorful, loud, and big. A gradient filter is a great way to make a casual photo look intriguing. In addition, if you do not have any other photos to work with, a simple gradient background can be a great on-trend solution.

2.Integrated Animation

Animations are a great way to include your visitors to the story of your website. Even in case if you only need animations for fun visuals, they can work perfectly as meaningful interactions for your users. As browser technology develops, more and more sites are finding new ways to engage visitors in their communication approach. That is why they are moving from static pictures to animations. For example, small animations are perfect for engaging users throughout their entire experience on the website. They can be integrated to work with navigation, scrolling, display a fancy hover state from a link, or animate the users while the website is loading.

3.Asymmetry

Unconventional “broken” layouts and asymmetry are one of the recent web design trends for 2018. They are often experimental, but also distinctive and unique. Although traditional grid-based structures are still preferred by large-scale brands, we can expect an increase in the use of asymmetry as companies always try to set themselves apart by implementing out-of-the-box ideas and building unique experiences. At the same time, while big brands can afford to be risky, traditional businesses might not be interested in such unconventional solutions.

4.Custom Fonts

Typography can set tone on a site, evoke emotion, and create personality while conveying important information. Due to the fact that device resolutions are getting easier to read, we can expect an increase in the use of big, bold typography. The large letter trend helps keep the users reading your site by improving UX, and creating dynamic parallels. Furthermore, headers are key elements of SEO. So web design companies are expected to take advantage of this with websites featuring impactful and big headers.

5.Custom Visuals

Friendly and playful visuals add an element of fun to any site. Professional web design agencies can make them tailored to a brand’s tone and full of personality – all businesses strive for in markets. Whatever your business identity is, there is likely a visual style to match it. This helps make them more approachable to clients.

6.Mobile First

As mentioned above, mobile usage has now surpassed desktop. Mobile web design has finally matured. Almost all people these days shop using their mobile devices. Icons have become so common that there is no trouble understanding them. Moreover, they are much more space-friendly and economical. Microinteractions made UX issues easier to identify/fix. That is why responsive and mobile-friendly design is one of the obvious web design trends for 2018.

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7.Particle Background

Images say more than thousand words. Moving images can say even more. Particle background is created by a lightweight javascript that works without taking too long to load, and allows movement to be displayed as a part of the background. Particle backgrounds are becoming more and more popular, providing leads back to your business’s landing page. They immediately attract the visitor’s attention, allowing websites to create a memorable impression.

8.Saturated, Vibrant Color Schemes

Until recently, many designers and businesses were stuck with web-safe colors. However, in 2018 they all are becoming more courageous in their color approach. Fortunately, modern devices and monitors allow to reproduce richer color schemes such as vibrant shades and supersaturation. Clashing and vibrant colors are great for businesses who want to set themselves apart the traditional and “web-safe,” but they are also perfect for newer businesses hoping to instantly attract their customers’ attention.

9.Depth and Drop Shadows

The use of shadows is not new. However, some recent variations are making it one of the design trends to watch in 2018. With parallax layouts and grids, designers play with shadows to create the illusion of a reality beyond the screen and depth. This can be considered as an answer to the flat design trend of the past. Such shadowplay improves User Experience and increases the aesthetics.

Between the integrated animations, custom visuals, and drop shadows, 2018 is gearing up to be one of the most interesting years in modern web design history. At Loonar Studios, we cannot wait to see how designers are going to push the limits and what are they going to come up with. Stay in touch with us to know more about the rapidly changing world of web design!