• Design & Development
• 16 Aug, 2021 Monday

Almost all of us prefer to consume content from a beautifully designed website rather than a plain and simple site. As humans are visual creatures, we tend to react to visuals and pleasing design naturally.

Hence, no wonder all customers prefer a well-designed, eye-catchy website. Often, people judge the brand solely based on visuals alone without analyzing the product quality or even reviews.

So, that speaks volumes about the importance of web design for your business. An aesthetically appealing and responsive website attracts more customers spontaneously.

Now, what is a good website design? Who defines that? There is no one correct answer for it. As technology changes at lightning speed, design trends also keep changing.

Design elements and website features that were innovative one day will become overdone and cliched over time. Thus, you need to constantly follow the latest web design trends and update your website.

An exquisite and trending web design also plays a vital role in SEO, establishing your online presence and driving traffic to your website. So, we are here with a list of brand new web design trends that will work wonders in 2021.

Read on to know the recent web design and development trends to create a highly functional, user-friendly website that looks fantastic and performs well. Let’s get started.

1) Parallax

Parallax is one of the web design trends that gained popularity in 2020. It is continuing to be a promising trend in 2021 also. It comes in different names like Parallax effects, Parallax animation, Parallax scrolling, and more. All terms refer to the same type of design.

Parallax is becoming popular as it works perfectly on high-speed internet today, unlike the slow-loading websites that used Parallax a few years ago. This web design probably got inspiration from old 2D video games.

Layers move at different speeds, creating an impression of depth. That is more like an optical illusion where the objects close to us move faster than those that are far away.

So, the trick behind Parallax animation is to make the foreground animation move faster than the background.

Though Parallax will enable an interactive web experience for your users, keep the following things in mind before implementing it.

• ♦ Make sure Parallax effects do not distract users from essential information.
• ♦ Limit the number of Parallax effects to a minimum.
• ♦ Reduce the amount of Parallax movement within each instance.
• ♦ Give an option for users to turn off Parallax effects.

It is not that Parallax animation needs to make grand gestures on the screen. You can be subtle with your Parallax applications as well. Else, if you go overboard, Parallax web design can hurt customer interaction and your website SEO.

2) 3D

High-quality 3D content can add a touch of uniqueness and dimensionality to any webpage. With the arrival of higher resolution screens, web designers are weaving 3D visuals seamlessly into web designs. An elegant web design improves the overall user experience rather than distracting them from reading crucial information.

Thus, high-quality 3D content has become a massive web design trend in 2021. Moreover, with technological advancements, the possibilities are endless for web developers. Do not get surprised if you encounter various 3D elements on websites in the coming years.

It can be 3D animations, 3D interactive content, and more. You can give a new life to your website by incorporating various 3D elements into your website.

Moreover, 3D effects in 2D space are gaining momentum these days. Yes, 3D elements go well on the minimalist layout as can they balance simplicity and enticing visuals. Be innovative and fit 3D elements into your website and present your website in the best possible way.

3D is your best bet if you want to offer interactive content as well as a breathtaking look to your users.

3) Minimalism

The minimal design that is popularly known as flat design has been with us for a few years. It will continue to be a trend in 2021 also.

Minimalism focuses on the core features of the website, grabbing the attention of the users towards content rather than distracting them with exaggerated visuals. Even if you observe the most creative websites, most of them are minimalist in their design.

So, it is highly advisable to be professional and refrain from using various colors, fonts, as it will only make your website look cluttered. Use minimal colors and fonts that fit perfectly. Plus, easy navigation is mandatory for your website to be user-friendly.

However, that doesn’t mean that your website should be boring, as extreme minimalism can hurt your site. The idea is to strike a balance by not using unwanted design elements to fill your website merely.

Moreover, using maximum white space on your website will enhance your website and make the things on the page stand out. Hence, all you need to do is to ensure user-friendly features. That way, you will get a minimalist design and a highly functional website simultaneously.

4) Retro Fonts

Old things becoming a trend again is not new for us. We have always seen them in the fashion industry as the trends keep repeating. The jeans that were popular in the 80s will become a trend again now.

The same thing happens here in web design trends too. Retro fonts are back in action now. Vintage fonts used popularly during the 60s, 70s, and 80s are becoming a design trend again in 2021.

So, don’t get surprised if you see retro fonts on many websites this year. These were those fonts that were in use in movie posters, concerts, and events. Most of them will look great on your website, but still, you need to choose carefully.

However, retro designs may not be a perfect fit for all businesses practically. For instance, it may not suit the website of a trading company or a law firm, whereas it will be perfect for restaurants and fast foods.

5) Horizontal Scrolling

Horizontal scrolling is getting popular now as it saves a lot of vertical screen space. As the name itself says, when you implement horizontal scrolling, website visitors need not scroll from top to bottom, but they will scroll horizontally.

Rather than displaying all content at once on a very long page, you will use smaller chunks of information with horizontal scrolling. Thus, the layout is highly flexible.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind before going for horizontal scrolling on your website. It is an ideal option to give an attractive book-like feel to your users. The users can engage very well with your website in that case.

But, if you have too much text to read in your book, you should avoid implementing horizontal scrolling. The users will get tired of scrolling your website horizontally and will leave your website, which will hurt your brand.

Most companies use horizontal scrolling on their landing pages as it seems to be a perfect fit. It all depends on your needs, ideally.

So, you need not use horizontal scrolling just because it’s in trend now. Use it if you feel that it will fit perfectly on your website rather than vertical scrolling.

6) Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences

You can find more websites with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) experiences in 2021.

If you don’t know the difference between both of these technologies, here is a quick takeaway. Augmented Reality(AR) allows you to interact with the fictional world without disconnecting yourself from the real world. Virtual Reality(VR), on the other hand, is entirely virtual. It cuts you off from the real world to experience the virtual world.

As many think, it is neither expensive nor complicated to implement AR/VR on your website. Instead, it is highly beneficial to invest in those technologies; if you want to offer multimedia experiences.

For instance, if you run an eCommerce website that sells clothes, implementing AR will allow people to try how clothes fit them. Thus, they will tend to spend more time on your website, shopping for the ideal outfit that suits them perfectly. That, in turn, attracts more visitors, boosting your sales.

Right now, VR is more common among video gaming companies. But, it will soon become a trend in eCommerce websites as well. So, now is the right time to implement VR on your website. Hence you can stay ahead of the crowd in a couple of years.

7) Colors

The color trends keep changing over the years. Like the minimal design trend, many prefer minimal colors for their website these days. Going colorless, like using white space or black space on websites, is becoming popular now.

If you don’t prefer that, you can opt for soft colors rather than white or black on your website. Yes, you can go for a color palette without many bright colors or various shades. The idea is to keep it simple.

Some businesses may need to use vibrant colors. In that case, you can use a combination of bold colors. We highly recommend using gradients, that is, blending various color combinations. That way, you can give a unique look to your website, striking a perfect balance between minimalism and vibrant colors.

8) Dark Mode

The dark mode has always been there right from social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even other popular websites for years now. However, it is not so common on regular websites other than social networks. But, in 2021, you can expect many websites implementing dark mode.

Nevertheless, the dark mode has numerous advantages. Ideally, it reduces eye strain. It is a tremendous benefit considering many people spend a long time staring at the screen.

Plus, the dark mode can give a very contemporary look to the website. Also, with dark mode, you can highlight specific parts spontaneously. Hence, many prefer dark mode for their websites.

One more reason to implement dark mode on your website is that all low-light user interface options will still be present in 2021 and beyond. However, always make sure to match your entire website design to dark mode rather than simply inserting it.

9) Scrollytelling

Scrollytelling is new-age visual storytelling that narrates a story and hooks you into it. It makes the details flow in a way that prompts you to scroll further. Scrollytelling has become a trend now, and designers are narrating the story through web experiences.

Here are a few best practices for scrollytelling:

• ♦ Restrict motion within a small area.
• ♦ Provide interactions on the user’s terms like offering playback controls to play/pause/stop interactions and motions.
• ♦ Finally, make sure that all scrollytelling elements facilitate emphasizing the story rather than distracting from prime context.

10) Voice User Interface (VUI)

Voice user interface is a recent technology that enables people to control various devices by voice. We all have heard of Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and other voice assistants on smartphones or separate devices. They are home assistants now more than mere voice assistants present in every home today.

Therefore, VUI has become a notable web design trend in 2021. You can implement various types of VUIs like voice chatbots and other virtual assistants. It’s more like people are comfortable with such voice options and started expecting them everywhere, even on websites.

Instead of searching, they can find the things they want with their voice. Moreover, it helps people with disabilities like blindness find things they want on the internet without other’s assistance. Even people who can’t read or write can benefit from VUI. Again, the voice user interface works like a charm for your website SEO.

Final Thoughts

We have listed some of the newest web design trends in 2021 for you. Businesses need to match the current trends and technologies to stay ahead amidst the cut-throat competition.

There is no one right formula to succeed in creating an established online presence. Many factors like design, content and SEO play a crucial part in helping you get ranked on top of SERP or driving traffic to your website.

All these factors, right from design, content, and even SEO trends, keep changing over time. What is trending today may not be the trend next year. So, it requires you to stay updated about the current design trends in the market to stand out from your competitors.

Also, instead of blindly following trends, you would need some professionals to assist you with appropriate design trends that best suit your business. It could be overwhelming for you to handle business operations and keep up with the current design and technology trends.

No worries, we have got you covered at Cypherox Technologies. Our design experts can help you own a trendy, user-friendly, and highly functional website that drives maximum traffic. Reach us today for any website development or mobile app development services and get your website/app crafted from design experts in the industry.