OK, I’m with you. Did you have a good 2018? I didn’t get a chance to speak to you for much of it. Hopefully we can stay in better touch this year. And what better terms to begin the year on than with a little bit of free advice?
You see last year we kicked off the year by giving you our key thoughts on what 2018’s trends would be within Web Design – both the fashionable and the functional. So what better than to revisit this 12 months later and see what, if anything, has changed...
- Make Sure It Works I said last year that this would be point number 1 EVERY year. Before your website goes live, test test test it. Test it until it breaks and then fix it again. Check it every day to make sure it’s performing correctly. A working website is a must, at all times.
- Responsiveness Sure, we said this last year too, but like a little black dress, some things just ALWAYS stay on trend. With the number of people browsing from mobile this year going through the roof even further, it’s absolutely imperative that your website looks good wherever it’s being viewed from. And you know what really helps things stay responsive...
- Minimalism Yep, minimalism was becoming to come in last year, but this year it’s both fashion AND function. The more you can get away with stripping your website back from the slow-loading overlays and endless embedded photos, and the more you can show straight-up information, well-spaced and easy on the eye, the more likely you are to keep that customer coming back for more.
- Single Page Design These days your business NEEDS a website. It used to be that we could understand the odd sole trader not having one, but no more – you have to have a web presence to succeed. But a big flash website for some businesses is just overkill, so continuing the theme of minimalism – single page design is the future. Your website will still have sections, but instead of having a plethora of pages, you’ll be scrolling or clicking links to navigate around one page which will have everything you need.
- Sticky Navigation Continuing the idea of easy access, sticky navigation sees the ability to change your perspective on a website, following you around. Whether it’s a sidebar that takes you to other pages, or a top bar which allows you to scroll down a single page design, that portion of the website will follow you as you go, meaning that when you’re done reading one page, there’s no need to scroll all the way back up again, your next move is sitting right in front of you.
- Asymmetry On a purely aesthetic level, asymmetry is going to be big this year. Whether it’s quirky columns, partitioned panels, or just a little lean here and there, websites this year won’t be as straight down the middle as they have been in previous years. Get ready to engage with this if you want your website to be looking like it’s stepped off the computing catwalk!
- Go Bold or Go Home With minimalism reducing your chances to make an impact with fancy technology or cool tricks, the first impression of your website becomes even more vital. So make an impact with a bold font, or a dynamic use of colour. Aim to draw the eye, not to confuse it.
- Consider Breaking the Rules As with all trends, sometimes it’s the people who break the tends who come out on top. If you feel confident that you can ignore ALL of our advice and still deliver a responsive website that does the business, then by all means do it! You will stand out. But be careful, cos you often only get that one chance to make an impact. It’s a BIG roll of the dice.
So there you have it, that’s what 2019 looks like for websites from our viewpoint. What about you, what do you think is the next big thing? What would you like to see more of, and indeed less of?
As always, get in touch with us on Social Media or on the contact form on our website and let us know what you think.
Until next time,
Zarte