Top 6 Biggest Web Design Trends In 2021

New Web Design trends in 2021 are appearing within all existing industries and their branches, and web design is no exception here.

Some of these trends stay for longer, change and upgrade with time and the development of technology, while others fade away quickly.

Web design is an essential part of the process, because, as Career Foundry reminds us, web development may be about how to start and create something, but web design trends in 2020 are crucial to providing users with the proper experience based not only on aesthetics but also on functionality and accessibility.

Web design as an industry branch has to follow people’s needs and expectations and that’s how trends emerge. Here are some of the most important to follow in 2021:

1.   Mobile versions become essential

A mobile version of a website used to be a valuable asset, but it has now become a necessity. Every year, more and more people browse the web via their tablets or smartphones and they can get aggravated when they want to access a page that doesn’t look good or gets unbelievably slow on mobile devices.

How a mobile version of a website works is even an important ranking factor for Google – it can become incredibly hard for a page to rank high on SERPs if there isn’t a fast, easy-to-manage mobile version of it.

That’s why many web designers start with mobiles and then adjust them to desktop, not the other way around as they used to.

This can even go one step further in the future, as many organizations are working to make it obligatory for the designers to make websites accessible to everyone. That should include people with disabilities, the elderly and others for whom browsing the web may be more difficult for different reasons.

2.  Dark design

It may have seemed like a caprice, but it looks like users like it and they want it to stay – and expand. Dark mode looks more modern, but it’s also more pleasant and easier on the eyes.

The whole design is about contrast and popups, but it’s not so bright and, very often, aggressive as the light mode. It also fits into a much bigger trend visible in various other industries – dark color schemes combined with neon details.

3.  Minimalist navigation

Minimalism is also a trend that’s prominent in many different areas of our lives, e.g., in fashion, home design or workspace design. Web design is more and more often about making things as simple as possible, intuitive and extremely easy to navigate.

There are several reasons for this, the most prominent being mobile devices and a limited amount of time. People not only look for information via their phones or tablets, but a lot of them want to use their smartwatches. Plus, in general, they don’t have time to go through endless pages and subpages.

Also, that’s why images become more important – reading is becoming too time-consuming. Videos, audios, and infographics are possible to absorb quicker.

4. Photos and graphics mixed together

This is part of a much bigger trend of making everything as personal as possible. Website owners want their pages to be memorable, unique and closely connected to their brand.

Collage-like graphics allow web designers to let their imagination and creativity loose, but it’s important to stay consistent and think about your brand’s personality to avoid chaos and mess that will only confuse people. Mixing real-life photographs with all kinds of graphics is the way to go these days.

5.  3D designs

No, it doesn’t stand as the opposition to minimalism; 3D designs don’t have to look rich and abundant.

It’s not as difficult nor expensive anymore; there’s no need for professional, highly technical equipment to create a 3D visual. It started with three-dimensional illustrations added to websites here and there, but it’s much more than that now.

It can be used for services pages, texts, photo galleries, models and examples, and much more. It’s the best choice if someone aims for an immersive experience, but doesn’t want to go as far as VR. It’s intriguing and may encourage users to stay longer.

6. Content over aesthetics

Yes, it’s vital to have a well-designed website, but it can be the most functional and the most beautiful page on the web and it still won’t be worth a lot of it doesn’t convey the message.

A well-designed website needs to do both: deliver information and deliver it in an easy, undisturbed way. Content is not only about words – yes, they are essential (not only for users, but for Google algorithms too) – but also images, videos, audios, infographics, and more. Every web designer should know how to design a website to display content appropriately.

Whether you’re a web designer yourself or you want to hire one, these are the web design trends in 2021 to keep in mind for any of your next projects that may include web designing. It’s the 20s – the future is here.

©Natalia Kołkowska