2024 Web Design Trends
To Elevate Your Website's Look This Year
14 Web Design Trends to Watch This Year:
With 2024 just around the corner we are getting ready to update our pages with the hottest web design trends coming next year and you should too!
Every year, we see new design trends come up in the design industry. Some of these trends help to inform and inspire designers to build more engaging websites for customers and businesses, others – for personal projects.
Table of Contents
First Things First:
Introduction to Web Design Trends
Web design trends are subject to change. It is still a developing field that involves a lot of collaboration and iteration. In the past, we have seen different kinds of web design trends used to evoke that nostalgic feeling that helps businesses create a connection with their customers when they experience their website. Trends typically help designers innovate new ways to design websites to be more usable and to have better chances of converting modern and fresh customers while finding new ways to bring them into the future goals of the business.
The web design field has a mutual relationship with technology, and for business to grow and stand out, designers must research and incorporate the latest web design trends to make their products fresh and modern. Trends are avenues used to showcase new ideas and innovations and therefore to get the best results out of your website.
In the past year, we have seen trends that have emerged alongside new technologies like Web3 where the use of gradients, big and bold typefaces and abstract images have become mainstream. As web building and design technologies advance, we see a shift towards interactive and immersive design experience trends. A great example is the metaverse where users are taken on a journey as they experience commerce and software virtually. This will see an increase in video content across several websites.
One thing’s sure though, UX and usability always remain the primary consideration for any business that wants to remain user centered and customer focused.
⚠️ New Placeit product alert: Hero Banners!
Why Is Web Design Important?
As a business, your website serves as a shop to your product and service. Keeping it aligned with your business goals and objectives requires effort and should therefore be done regularly. Your website should be designed to meet customer expectations, and build brand loyalty across all channels and touchpoints. Web design is important because it impacts how your audience perceives your brand.
Here are some major reasons why web design is important:
It helps your business to stand out
Good website design gives you an excellent opportunity to get ahead of the competitors by providing exceptional user experience. Many modern brands still underestimate the value of design so it’s your chance to stand out by not only providing great service but also high-quality web design.
😉 It gives users a sense of trust
Your website should be designed in such a way that shows potential customers that you are an expert in your field. Produce quality content to show expertise, add testimonials on your homepage and use trust badges to demonstrate users they are in the right hands. Good design should not only be pretty but also user-friendly enough for customers to trust you. It signifies that you’re a true professional that cares about delivering them exceptional experiences.
It contributes to a better UX (user experience)
User experience involves every interaction a user has with your business and product. Great web design based on data gathered from user research can help you enhance these experiences, make them more smooth and customer-oriented.
User research helps you learn about user behaviors in order to make sure that you design your website for an actual customer, with their needs in mind. Thus, using a UX research tool during the web design process will help discover where customers struggle on your website and use the insights gotten from the test to improve its UX.
🤑 Web design also increases conversions
Investing in your digital presence as a business should be top priority in today’s world. This gives you a lead over other competitors and also establishes your brand as a go-to expert in your industry. Your website should be designed from top to bottom to give the impression that you can solve the problem that potential customers came to you with.
A strong digital presence also helps you to increase your business visibility, improve customer satisfaction and experience, gain more sales and increase conversions. Attractive UI design, smooth navigation and just overall good UX will keep customers coming at all times.
💡 It makes easier the navigation on your site
If your website is challenging to navigate, or has a poor structure and layout, it will be difficult for users to find information and will lead to drop offs. Make sure your website is optimized for actual users and is intuitive enough to keep them on your page. You can do so by designing the information architecture of your website to suit the mental model of your user.
It is not enough for users to just know where they are in your website, they should also know how to navigate to where they want to get to in order to perform any specific task. When your website navigation is intuitive enough, users tend to get less frustrated with finding their way around but are more inclined to visit your website because of the pleasant experience that they may now associate with it.
With new web design trends springing up every year, we decided to put together a list of 10 web design trends that will likely be popular in the design industry in 2023.
Feel free to make this list your own for inspiration: 👇🏼
1. UX Focused Design
User Experience (UX) focused design is important for several reasons, as it directly impacts how users interact with and perceive a product or service. Here are some key reasons why UX-focused design is crucial:
- Customer Satisfaction: When users find a product or service easy to use and enjoyable, they are more likely to have a positive perception of the brand and become repeat customers.
User Retention: Users are more likely to continue using a product or service if they have a good experience. UX design helps retain users by reducing frustration, improving efficiency, and making the overall interaction more pleasant.
Competitive Advantage: If a product is easier and more enjoyable to use than competing products, it can give a business a significant advantage.
Increased Conversions: Whether the goal is to sell a product, encourage sign-ups, or drive some other action, a good UX design can lead to higher conversion rates. An intuitive and user-friendly interface can guide users through the desired actions more effectively.
Brand Image: The user experience contributes to the overall perception of a brand.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: A UX-focused design considers the needs of a diverse user base, including individuals with disabilities. This promotes accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that a wider range of users can effectively use and enjoy the product.
User Engagement: Engaged users are more likely to explore a product further, spend more time using it, and become advocates for the brand. A well-designed user experience encourages engagement and can turn users into loyal supporters.
Adaptability to Technological Changes: As technology evolves, user expectations also change. A UX-focused design is adaptable and can be updated to meet the evolving needs and preferences of users.
A UX-focused design is not just about aesthetics but about creating an overall positive and efficient experience for users. It contributes to business success by enhancing customer satisfaction, fostering brand loyalty, and giving a competitive edge in the market.
2. A Favorite Online: Kinetic Typography
Typography has definitely been one of the most favorite elements designers like to play with throughout the years and 2022 brought us even more trends to try. We’ve seen a lot of thin serif fonts this year and some retro ones inspired by nostalgia influence. However, some of the most impressive designs had kinetic typography in them.
Moving text is not easy to implement in a way that is both stylish and still good at conveying the message to the user. But when done right it can be stunning. Hopefully we’re going to see more of those in 2023 even though such creativity is not always easy to combine with usability.
💡 Check out the menu of Le Petit Salon for an example
3. Interactive Story-Telling
Storytelling in web design is a powerful technique that involves using narrative elements to create a compelling and engaging user experience. By weaving a story into the design, web developers and designers can evoke emotions, communicate a brand’s message, and guide users through a meaningful journey. Here are key aspects and considerations related to storytelling in web design:
4. Y2K Aesthetics
The popularity of Y2Y (Year 2000s) and nostalgia as trends can be attributed to several factors:
Cultural Recycling: Trends often follow cyclical patterns, with styles and cultural elements from the past being reinterpreted and brought back into the mainstream. Nostalgia provides a sense of familiarity and comfort, making it appealing to both those who experienced a particular era firsthand and those who are discovering it for the first time.
Generational Influence: Younger generations often look back at earlier decades with curiosity and a desire to experience or reinterpret elements of those times. Y2Y, specifically focusing on the early 2000s, may appeal to individuals who were too young to fully experience that era but are drawn to its unique cultural and aesthetic aspects.
Nostalgic Marketing: Brands often leverage nostalgia in their marketing strategies. By tapping into cultural elements from the past, companies can evoke positive emotions and create a sense of connection with consumers. Nostalgic marketing can be particularly effective in building brand loyalty.
The popularity of Y2Y and nostalgia can be attributed to a combination of cultural, emotional, and social factors. It’s a reflection of the human desire for connection, comfort, and a sense of identity in a rapidly changing world.
5. Handmade Illustrations
The handmade illustration trend in website design involves the use of hand-drawn or hand-painted elements to create a unique and personalized visual style. This trend has gained popularity for several reasons, and it adds a human touch to the digital realm. Here are some key aspects of the handmade illustration trend in website design:
- Handmade illustrations bring a sense of individuality and uniqueness to a website. Each drawing is crafted by hand, making it distinct from generic or stock images.
- The organic and imperfect nature of handmade illustrations adds warmth and approachability to a website. This can be especially beneficial for brands looking to establish a friendly and relatable image.
- Hand-drawn elements often convey a playful and creative vibe. This can be particularly effective for brands targeting audiences who appreciate a lighthearted and imaginative approach.
It’s worth noting that while handmade illustrations can enhance a website’s visual appeal, it’s essential to consider the overall design strategy and ensure that the illustrations align with the brand’s messaging and objectives. The trend’s success lies in the thoughtful integration of handmade elements to create a cohesive and memorable user experience.
6. Image Heavy & Faster Loading
Building image-heavy websites with faster loading times involves a combination of strategic design choices, optimization techniques, and technological advancements. This trend has emerged as websites increasingly prioritize visual content to enhance user engagement and convey information effectively. Here are key considerations:
Lazy Loading:
Lazy loading is a technique where images are loaded only when they are about to be displayed on the user’s screen. This helps reduce the initial page load time, especially for websites with a large number of images.
Responsive Images:
Use responsive image techniques to serve appropriately sized images based on the user’s device and screen size. This ensures that users on mobile devices receive smaller, optimized images, reducing overall page load times.
WebP Format:
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides high-quality compression. Using WebP images can significantly reduce file sizes while maintaining image quality, contributing to faster loading times.
Image Compression:
Compress images to reduce their file sizes without compromising quality. There are various tools and techniques, such as lossless and lossy compression, that can be employed to optimize images for the web.
Progressive Loading:
Implement progressive loading to display a low-quality version of an image first, followed by higher-quality versions as the page continues to load. This gives users a faster initial experience while ensuring high-quality images eventually load.
7. A Must-Have: Visible Grids
One of our absolute favorites! Combined with stunning typography and visuals this trend has been in vogue since the past year and we continue to see an upward trend with this one.
The best thing about it is, compared to some other modern design trends, visible grids actually make it very easy to navigate the website and allow you to fit in a lot of useful information on a page without it looking cluttered. This year we’ve seen it in combination with retro-styled typography, brutalism and abstract shapes.
⭐ This Business to Buttons UX conference website is a great example of this visible grids trend
8. Enhanced IA for Minimalistic Designs
Information Architecture (IA) is the identification and definition of site content according to organization, structure and functionality. IA is connected to the UX of a website whereby content is divided up and connected in ways that match the needs and expectations and expectations of users.
IA uses user research methodologies (like card sorting, for example) to learn about user mental models and how they typically find, discover and organize content in their day to day. Card sorting is a method that helps designers build intuitive information architecture by giving users a set of cards and asking to sort them into categories. With fewer sections and better naming conventions, good information architecture helps to come up with a minimalistic, but powerful design that is easy and intuitive to navigate by the user.
9. Visible Boundaries
One aspect of modern web design often involves creating clear and distinct visual boundaries to guide users and improve overall user experience. This can be achieved through various design elements:
10. Scrolling Effects & Other Motion Effects on the Home
There were a lot of scrolling effects implemented in 2022, in some of the most intriguing ways! They really help to make the user experience more dynamic and inspire scrolling further down to see what’s next. Modern users like to keep themselves entertained, our attention spans are getting shorter with each year so scrolling effects are definitely a great opportunity to keep their interest for 2023.
⚡ Check out this Lusion creative studio website to see an example of the scrolling effect
11. Glassphormism
Glassmorphism is a glass effect that gives a site depth and visual hierarchy to the user interface.
Frosted glass effect is all about simulating the look of frosted glass on a website’s background or elements. This effect is achieved by overlaying a semi-transparent layer over an image or color background, blurring it, and adding a slight opacity. The result is a subtle, hazy effect that gives the impression of depth and texture.
The frosted glass effect can be applied to various design elements, including headers, menus, buttons, and even entire sections. It works well with minimalist or modern designs and can add a touch of sophistication and texture to a website’s aesthetic.
12. Mix of Fonts: A Design Trend to Have Fun With
Mixing fonts is another hot web design trend in 2023, where different font families are used together in a cohesive way to create visual interest and hierarchy. This trend allows designers to experiment with typography, express different moods, and emphasize certain elements on a page. It’s a great way to add a little boldness and creativeness to your designs and make the website stand out from the competitors. This allows you to guide users’ attention where you want it to be on the page and make accents on design elements that matter the most.
✨ Go to Dropbox , which is a great example of implementing this trend into a corporate website design, to check in real-time this mix of fonts example.
To learn more about this topic, continue reading: ‘Font Pairing Made Easy: A Guide for Non-Designers.’ In it, you’ll find helpful tips and visual examples to master this subject.
13. An Increase in Video Content
We are definitely predicting an increase in video content on the website’s homepages. It’s a great trend to hop on for e-commerce brands or just creatives who want to demonstrate their work in a dynamic way, not just using pictures. Video backgrounds can be great when done right, especially when they’re quiet. Learning from Netflix, noone wants an autoplay feature with the sound on every time you open a page. However, quiet aesthetic videos on the background can become a great more dynamic alternative to classic images.
🎬 Pinpoint Media website is a great example of how it can be done.
14. Tooltips Are Becoming Popular
Tooltips are an all time popular web design trend that provides users with additional information about specific elements on a website when they hover their cursor over them. They can be used to display short descriptions, definitions, or contextual information that enhances the user experience and helps users understand the website’s content better.
However, in 2023 we are experimenting more and more with creatively matching tooltips to the website’s overall aesthetic and customizing them in terms of size, color, and content.
Davel Creative Agency is a perfect example of creative use of tooltips. When you enter their Services page, hovering a particular service shows a beautiful tooltip with the example of their work in that area.
15. Say Hi to Virtual Reality/ Immersive Reality In E-commerce
More of a UX trend in general, but we are excited for the rise of VR and AI in the e-commerce space. It’s already a thing but not many websites have implemented it yet. It’s intriguing to see how different brands will be executing this trend in their design to upgrade the user experience.
A great example is Sephora’s Virtual Artist app that allows users to try different makeup products on themselves without having to go to the store.
Tools to Check Out for Inspiration
Here are some tools and websites you can use as a source of inspiration or guide to help you implement design trends in your next project:
Placeit. This is a technology enabled website that provides high quality tools and templates for your next project ranging from fonts, typography, mockups and a video creation tool to embed videos in your marketing campaign.
Godly website. This is a website where you can get inspired with a variety of virtual and augmented reality web experiences. Stay informed and find inspiration for your next VR project in ecommerce here.
Shape Fest. This is a really helpful tool that offers beautifully rendered 3D shapes and icons. It serves as inspiration for animated interactions, shapes and colors. It is also free.
UXtweak. UXtweak is a tool that helps you learn how your users find, discover and organize key information. It informs how information should be presented on your information architecture sheet using card sorting. With this tool you can design more intuitive website navigation by finding out what your users think about website structure.
So, Which Web Design Trend Are You Most Excited About?
The design approach of delivering different web designs while keeping accessibility, seamless navigation and usability in mind that engages with users in a unique yet meaningful way will continue to be the most relevant design trend. This is already spread across as UI and UX design emphasizes and focuses on this. There’s still a huge potential in personalization of web design in such a way that connects to the user and enhances user engagement.
We believe that we will see more immersive experience design trends in 2023 that will keep users at the center of the experience in order to continue to deliver business value and meet customer needs.
Author's Bio: Exon Nkemchor | A passionate User Experience (UX) Designer committed to creating products that not only look great but also deliver on the user's needs and expectations.