2020 has been rough for most of us. Yet, web designers had been extra busy during the last year due to the surge of businesses going online.
2021 emerged with unique website design trends that are focused on value and accessibility. The internet is for everyone, and websites should be a simple way to get information.
Here are the top 10 popular web design trends for 2021 to work on. You can expect demand for these aspects to go up and stay strong for the coming years.
Let’s dive into the first trend without any more delay!
- Minimalist Approach
Many designers are fans of the minimalist approach. The trend uses simple design elements and keeps any extravagance aside. Designers use many techniques like ample white space and color-less design to reduce any complexities and barriers to navigation.
A minimalist approach helps website visitors find what they are looking for easily. You don’t have too many shiny elements to confuse or deter the user.
Google is also updating its algorithms to help searchers find information in the quickest way. Websites can take the same approach and use a minimal design trend to focus on what’s important.
Many big names have gone minimalist with a simple design for their website. An advantage of using this approach is that you can easily catch attention and direct your visitors where you want. - Accessibility
Around 15% of the world’s population is a victim of some form of disability. Till now, the internet has been the place for the privileged. Only people who can hear, see, and use their limbs could take advantage of online resources.
Web designers are now turning to serve the specially-abled with more accessibility options. Why should a blind person be omitted from the pleasure of browsing your website?
In 2021, a popular web design trend is making the online space more accessible to everyone. You can go several ways to ensure your website caters to everyone without exceptions:
• Use functional image alt tags to describe an image
• Write your content in a way it can be read out aloud
• Use contrasting colors between backgrounds and texts
• Highlighted buttons and sections
Making the web more accessible is a trend we all are proud of! - Design Yourself
Hosting has become affordable for everyone to have a website. You can now own a website at less cost than buying a full meal at a restaurant.
Along with affordability, the ease of developing a website is also improving. Now any person can design their website without an iota of coding knowledge.
Templates have been a big help to the average Joe to create an appealing website. A business owner can now make an online presence even if he doesn’t have the budget.
However, the demand for professional web designers is not going down. We will always need custom coding to develop professional websites and scale.
Templates can only go so far as to help you build a website. Custom workflows and requirements can never be satisfied without coding. - Dark Themes
Did you notice your app asking if you want to switch to the “dark mode?”
Human eyes are precious. Looking at the screen all day long brings a range of unwanted consequences we can surely do without.
The dark mode is a great way to protect your eyes and conserve power. For this reason, mobile apps sport a dark mode to drain less battery and give your eyes relief.
Now websites are also going dark following the lead of mobile apps. Designers are providing a dark theme where the background turns black, and the texts appear in white.
Additionally, dark modes sometimes turn out quite beautiful visually. People who like their cars in black will surely prefer a website that offers a dark theme.
It’s time to give your website a dark look in 2021. - AI-Driven Chatbots
Chatbots are not new. However, they have received a new vigor due to the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Chatbots can now surely replace humans to serve your customers. Even if you don’t go that far, chatbots can help you provide 24/7 support. Additionally, you can help visitors make purchase decisions and provide more buying options.
Most websites now use a chatbot. They can perform tasks like:
• Link to knowledgebase and resources
• Follow a script and help troubleshoot issues
• Ask questions and converse like a human
• Greet and address visitors by their name
Chatbots can act as the first line of support to save cost and labor. You can have representatives take up the cases that the AI chatbots can’t resolve.
Chatbots are going to become standard in 2021. - Fun Drawings
Images and videos were the top choices when designers had to use visuals in a website. They still work well, but a new trend is becoming more popular in 2021.
We can see plenty of illustrations finding a place on leading websites. The fun drawings are not works of art but simple enough to convey the message.
Illustrations are going to be a top choice for web designers this year. Many are going for hand-sketched elements that mimic a painting made by your hands.
The style introduces a sense of flow in your web pages and helps the visitors connect with your content. You can use illustrations at strategic places to make your website speak a thousand words.
Additionally, your website becomes more appealing and keeps visitors engaged. They get the best experience of using a website that is even entertaining. - 3D Design Elements
3D has always been the attention-grabber. Over time, 3D technology has also improved by leaps and bounds to resemble reality. It can be very difficult in some cases to identify between 3D and a real image.
Web design trends have taken an interest in 3D years back, but the results were not visually pleasing enough. However, now we have a completely different story.
3D elements now light up a website and increase its beauty. Designers are using 3D elements but are not going overboard to ruin things.
Rather, 3D elements have also taken the minimalist approach. You will find only a few 3D visuals on a particular webpage to avoid hampering the user experience.
Judicious use of 3D will shine in 2021 with great results. - Gradient Color Schemes
Instagram made the gradient color scheme popular with its logo. As you know, color has countless shades. Gradient color means the use of the different shades of a color to improve visual appeal.
Gradient colors build a sense of mobility even when you use static and flat designs. Additionally, gradient colors can be a great companion to the minimalist approach. You can keep things simple and make your website appealing by using different color shades.
However, you can’t combine just any shade as you feel. Your color gradient should align with your message, tone, and mood of the website.
Using colors found in nature can be a good way to mix shades up. Else, you can use online color gradient tools to create a fitting palette. - FAQs
FAQs were boring and mostly unread part of a website. We only looked into the FAQ of a website if we experienced an issue. However, things are not the same in 2021.
FAQs have taken the spotlight since Google introduced questions and answers in search results. It was a natural move, considering searchers type questions in the search bar.
As a result, websites now incorporate FAQs in their site schema to rank on Google. Additionally, many businesses are sprinkling FAQs with CTAs and using them cleverly to promote products.
This is a design trend that will need the involvement of your content department. Your writers will need to write the questions and answers while your designers implement the schema.
Most FAQs are tucked away nicely at the bottom of a page. Many use a collapsing structure where clicking on the questions makes an answer box appear. - Micro Animations
Websites use animations freely to offer a pleasing experience. In 2021, website design trends don’t want elaborate animations anymore. Instead, they are focusing on micro-interactions to drive a better user experience and guide visitors.
Micro-interactions or animations are short animations. For example, your download button can pop out or show an animated tickmark to encourage users to click.
Micro animations are not difficult to create and need less time and effort. However, they can have a big impact on your website visitors and help you drive your conversions.
Use micro animations with proper planning to derive the most optimum results.
Final Thoughts
Web design trends in 2021 are going to take an innovative turn with an eye on user experience. Whatever you do, the user stays in top priority, and they should be able to access information easily. You can use our list of trends to design a superb website that pleases all visitors. Wizard Communication can help you design appealing and professional websites that attract visitors without exceptions. Contact us to discuss your needs.
