Top 10 Web Design Trends for 2021
How often do your customers bounce off your website? How do you translate your visitors into your customers? How do you make your website stand out from your competition? What was taken into consideration while designing your website? If these questions made you wonder or re-think your design strategy then this article is for you. During this pandemic period, people spend most of their time online and their expectations have increased. Thus, it becomes crucial for businesses to keep up with the web design trends to retain customers.
The graphic design trends are constantly changing in today’s fast-paced world and it is crucial to keep up with the trends to stay competitive and relevant. With much chaos in 2020, designers have hit the extremes of experimentation and adapted newer processes to deliver the best. Most of the graphic design trends in 2021 will be the continuation of what we saw in 2020. Considering that website design contributes a lot to conversions and revenue, we put together a comprehensive list of the top 10 web design trends for 2021.
Here are the top 10 key trends to make your 2021 a bit brighter:
1. Retro Serif Fonts
We have often seen old web design trends coming back in fashion be it mom jeans or retro music. Similarly, retro typography has gone through a bit of resurgence in 2020 and we continue to see this influence in 2021. Bold, retro serifs with curvy contours and minimalistic styling continue to evoke nostalgia and bring warmth to new age brand appeal. Spotify’s carnival promotion is a perfect example that blended the traditional fonts with a bit of experimentation and blew new life in the creative.
2. Dark Mode
Imagine a text or graphic on a subtly textured black background, doesn’t it look stunning. Apple launched a dark mode for their products in 2019 and since then this trend is a rage. The dark mode aesthetic is being embraced by most designers in 2021 as well. It makes the design elements pop out from the dark background. This theme is a low-light interface and helps with eye strain and other physical issues resulting in a better work experience. Dark themes are good for OLED screens and save power. Even though dark modes appear very simple, it creates a better impact on your mood.
3. Neutral colors
It may sound weird but most buying decisions are made based on the color scheme. Colors can be a powerful tool for marketing and communication and hence keeping up with color trends deserves much attention. 2021’s design mood is mostly dominated by muted or neutral colors which makes a perfect backdrop. A subtle background with some text and illustrations makes the design feel more alive and natural. Furthermore, since people are spending most of their time indoors and focusing more on self-care, serene backgrounds will help create a calming environment.
4. Design Activism
Design activism has its roots in the 19th century and it is back in trend in 2021. This refers to using design as a tool for social and environmental progress. More and more designers are embracing design activism to raise their voices through bold and iconic visuals. In 2021 we will see graphic design educating the masses about societal issues and injustice. We expect to see massive usage of design for protests and campaigns that call for environmental, political, and racial justice.
5. Optical illusions
We all have been impressed by optical illusions at one or another point in our lives. It is fascinating how our eyes play tricks on us and make us think. Optical illusions will bring a twisting change to graphic design typography. It makes the user wonder and evokes interest in the design. We may not realize it at first but a lot of techniques that we come across when working on an interface, graphic design logo, or illustration are optical illusions.
6. Imperfections
As humans, we love organic, individual feel, which is why bokeh and blurry images are so much in trend. This graphic design is the most popular of all because of its realness. These are hand-drawn and add emotions to the design. Imperfect, organic designs look more human and therefore are more relatable. This design breaks the audience’s constant hunt for accuracy and hence embeds it into their minds. Imperfections are considered best for brand recognition as they can be easily memorized by the audience.
7. Imaginative Landscapes and Interior Design
Interiors took the center stage in 2020, as more people spent a lot of time at home. Also, because of the numerous video calls, analyzing background settings became critical. Three-dimensional computer-aided design and virtual reality saw the upsurge of a new breed of visual artists creating utopian landscapes, buildings, and interiors. This trend satisfies people’s desire for escapism and has a good chance in 2021.
8. 3D Elemental
3D visuals are very intriguing and will be at the peak of their popularity in 2021. 3D elements in web designing offer a realistic look and create a feeling of physical presence. 3D elements offer engaging experiences to the customers. High-quality 3D visuals add to the overall user experience. It helps customers make informed decisions by assessing the product’s properties. 3D elements allow UX/UI designers to break the boundaries between space and reality and add a sense of uniqueness.
9. Floating Elements and Layers
As per Alax Ivanoc, a trusted 99designs partner – “Soft shadows and floating elements create a pseudo-3D effect and make the design more layered and more interesting.” Floating elements and layers can be integrated with any photos, texts, and graphics and creates a memorable experience for clients. It is an innovation that makes a design livelier and thus makes your website slightly 3D. The soft shadow makes the design pop out of the screen and helps in highlighting the depth feature. Floating elements and layers not only make the user pay attention but also creates positive emotions among the users.
10. White Space with Solid Frames
A clean website with Solid frames of white space always attracts attention and loads much faster. This UI design is also favored by search engines like Google due to its great user experience. It provides a better structure to the website and helps the customer understand what and what not to press. Using this design trend makes all the visuals shine and segregates the page in an order using the white space. This design is one of the simplest designs and hence gets approved easily.
Think of your design as a storefront and decorate as per the occasion. Go spooky when it’s Halloween and light it up like a Christmas tree when it’s Christmas. Competition is cutthroat and if your website does not provide the experience that makes the user stay, they will not bat an eyelid before going to your competitor.
The web design trends shared in this article are innovative and designers have started making more custom modifications to deliver better designs in 2021. These web design trends will boost the creativity of UX/UI designers and help them bring something out of the box every time they design. This provides more room for experimentation for web designers and it’s exciting to see how these Web design trends will shape the future of website design and development.
