6 Key Web Design Trends in 2014
With the first Christmas decorations in the shops and another year nearly gone, it’s time to reflect on new trends and changes in the world of web design. Some of these trends have been gaining popularity over the last couple of years, whereas others are brand new for 2014. We take a look at some of the best and brightest web design trends to be seen this year, from the simple to the awe-inspiring.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best and brightest web design trends to be seen this year, from the simple to the awe-inspiring.
1. Flat Design
Some people have never even heard of flat design, but we’re willing to bet you use it on a daily basis. Take a look at Windows 8 and Apple iOS 7; these are two prime examples of the simple and functional ways in which flat design works. Although this trend has been around for a while, it has only recently started gathering momentum in the web design world. This type of design focuses on fewer colours, textures, shadows and gradients, creating a minimalist approach that is clean and modern. Less clutter gives users a better experience, whilst also being perfect for responsive and mobile web design. This is easily one of the best web design trends in 2014, for those who want simple yet sophisticated.
2. Single Page, Scrolling Sites
This trend has certainly been growing in popularity over the last couple of years and is now hot property in the web design world. With more and more people using touch screens to navigate websites, the single page trend has boomed. A visitor to your scrolling site can access everything they need from the one page, without having to go through tireless navigation menus. This means your content is much more likely to be read from top to bottom, as nobody has to wait for new pages to load (or work out where to find those pages). With the rising number of people using tablets and mobiles to browse, single page websites are likely to continue being an important trend.
3. Custom Typography
This is one key web design trend we can’t get enough of this year, especially as it enables your website to stand out from the crowd. Custom typography has been around for quite some time, yet we’re only really recently seeing it being utilised. It is certainly the fashion to have big and bold, custom typography throughout the pages of your website; no Arial or Times New Roman fonts to be seen, thankfully. It is now easier and cheaper to invest in custom fonts for your website, so no excuses!
4. Videos and Video Backgrounds
Take a look at some of the following websites and you’ll see exactly why video backgrounds have become such a hot trend in 2014:
- Life of Pi Movie
- Dadaab Stories
- Diesel
- I Surf Because
With faster internet speeds and better technologies, such as HTML5 video, it is now even easier to show off with your website. Moving backgrounds and videos are an incredible way to keep your visitors interested for longer, whilst also making a statement about your product or service.
5. High-quality images
There has been a big increase in high-quality images used within web design, over the past year or so. Now, everyone is looking to get premium, custom and creative images for their website, along with their very own image galleries. Better displays on computers, phones and tablets mean that users want to see the very best quality of everything. That means bigger and bolder imagery, with fewer backgrounds for texture. If you want to impress in 2014, then make sure you’re using your imagination when it comes to images.
6. Content focused design
Many of the web trends we’ve discussed above go to highlight a very important point; content is now more important than ever. Big and bold typography, high-quality images, scrolling page and flat designs, these are all trends that shift the focus onto content. Websites that are content-heavy, such as news websites and blogs, are all making a big step towards clean and simple approaches. Company websites are also following suit, ensuring that the users can access what they want, when they want it, with very little fuss. We live in the age of convenience, so your website needs to reflect this.
These are the key web design trends we’ve seen this year, do you think we have missed any? Browse through your favourite websites and take a look at what big changes they’ve made in 2014 for a good idea of how the design world has shifted focus. Now, it’s all about making websites that work on all devices, that are easy to navigate and look fantastic in the process. Does your website tick all those boxes?
