What's Trending In The World Of Website Design In 2021?

The style of website design is changing. Two of the biggest design trends in 2021 are dark mode and asymmetry. 

 

This was becoming popular in 2020 but is set to explode in 2021. Most social media app users have discovered the option of switching to dark mode and this has transferred to websites.  

 

Some of the reasons why website designers are favouring dark mode include: 

 

In the past, websites were designed using a grid layout, making it easy to structure content and images, as well as focus on specific elements. Today, the idea of making a website ‘fit’ to a template has been thrown out of the window.  

 

With asymmetric designs, brands are side-lining long-held traditions and opting for exciting, unique designs. However, remember there still has to be a balance of the content and imagery, and it needs to look organised. 

 

Another design style set to be popular in 2021 is the use of 3D elements, especially if they are interactive, but you will need a high performing, quick-loading website to utilise 3D. 

 

This has always been an important aspect of any website design but in 2021, it is being inspired by print. Designers are now mixing graphics with photography to add depth and personality, as well as reinforcing a company’s brand and colours. Users want photography that is realistic; combining print-inspired images with graphics, sketch-style illustrations and overlapping them is providing stunning results. 

 

As always, imagery needs to be of a high quality but with the increase in mobile users, the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) image format is now as crucial as ever. SVG capability enables images to be adaptable to whichever device being used to view a website. 

 

Gone are the pastel, safe colours of the past; in come muted colours, neon colours, black and white, and unusual colour combinations. Website designers want to capture a user’s attention and the best way to do this is through visual effects. That means using bold colours in eye-catching combinations, or the visual impact of just black and white. 

 

Using minimalist designs with bright, bold colours help a company’s brand to stand out. Designers are using intense colours and glowing shades, combining non-traditional colours together that will make an impact on visitors to the website. 

 

Keeping it clean and simple is another trend for 2021. Using black and white backgrounds, especially when used with colour images, provides an elegant, stylish look and feel of the website. For businesses that want their products or services to stand out on their websites, this is a great combination. 

 

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased the use of mobile devices by users searching and viewing on the internet. If your website is not mobile-friendly, it’s highly likely any visitor will switch to a competitor. 

 

Google has been ranking mobile-friendly websites higher in search advertising since 2018. In 2021, it is imperative to ensure your website is adaptable to any mobile device. Part of that is using SVG images that automatically scale according to the device being used to view your website. 

 

Today, this is one of the most important factors in website design. Couple that with Google’s forthcoming algorithm update in May 2021 and it is now essential. If your website doesn’t load within two to three seconds, users are likely to move on to a competitor website and probably won’t return. 

 

It’s all about the user experience and another trend this year will be smart content loading. Websites that rely on loading all their graphical elements are traditionally slow. Website designers are now adding functionality to develop smart websites that download just the content that particular visitor needs to view. With the advent of one-page sites and constant scrolling, how many users actually reach the end of the website page? Very few. Therefore, loading the content as the user scrolls down the page ensures a quicker website loading time and avoids wasting time loading content that is not needed. 

 

Despite all the above trends that will be prevalent in 2021, good content is still king on any website. Even Google’s algorithm update, with their new Page Experience feature, puts engaging content above all other search metrics. Users want content they can engage with and that is personalised to them. 

 

Looking to build a new website or refresh an existing website in 2021? At it’seeze Web Design Twickenham, we make website design easy, flexible and cost effective. Not sure if your website is working for you? We offer a free website health check that will decipher the areas where improvements can be made. Call us today to create the website of your dreams and turn your business into an online success. 

 

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