The New Year is almost here, and for a Web Developer/Designer like myself, that means it’s time to prepare for the latest Web trends. There has been a progressive movement towards optimized, mobile-friendly, responsive websites and those ‘cleaner’ looks will only continue to grow in popularity.
- More material design. This design is the latest and greatest language from Google and aims to bring together a brand in a more cohesive way. Check out the Android website to understand how simplistic, yet unified material design can be. Material design can help your company have a unified Web presence.
- Cinemagraphs. Much like the rising popularity of GIFs, cinemagraphs (a more mature GIF) will certainly rise in use in 2016. This is an image that moves ever so slightly via a series of photos or a video, and the use of image editing software like the example below. Cinemagraphs show that your company is creative and innovative. (Examples are here.)
- Bold colors. Color trends are always changing but recently bold/vibrant colors have taken hold of the Web and 2016 will continue the momentum. For example, the Shinola website does a great job in introducing pops of color. Using color will highlight your company’s creativity.
- More use of different fonts. Services like Google Fonts and Adobe Typekit open up more font possibilities. Check out all the colorful font types on the Telly Awards website.
- Non-standard layouts. More and more companies are deviating from standard, ‘boring’ layouts. By having a compelling site map and an interesting layout you can show off how innovative your organization is. Our website is a custom layout that embraces our brand within our explanation point.
- Use of Illustration. Illustrations will take the Web by storm in 2016. A great example is the Mind Design Company website – which utilizes many illustrations. Illustrations allow you to tap into your creative team and show off the company values you want to instill in Web visitors.
- More and richer animation. As you may know, Flash is dead and gone – it’s been removed from Facebook and Google. Other options for Web animation include GIFs and animations (check out my other blog post for more details). A beautifully complex example is the Christmas Express website, where the entire experience is more like a video game than a website. Using animations shows that your company is willing to demonstrate its capabilities in a variety of ways.
The holidays are a great time to prepare for all the New Year has to bring, be sure to freshen up on your Web skills while there’s some downtime. Need help? Contact us anytime and we’d be happy to oblige!
