Five website design trends for 2013

Web design is continually adapting to keep pace with changes in technology, innovative user interfaces and design trends. Here are five website design trends you’ll be seeing more of in 2013:

1. Dynamic design

A fresh wave of digital design concepts have swept aside the old PC vs laptop vs mobile debate with a range of innovative, multi-format solutions. The abundance of smartphones and tablet devices has been a real game changer, which means any new site must be designed to cater effectively for these different visitors.

This has also prompted cleaner and more simplistic design with increasing use of big buttons for small screen sizes (check out https://ifttt.com/ and http://pinterest.com/). The goal is to have a single set of codes which run optimally in all environments and to think of website design as a single, multi-functional canvas.

2. Bigger photography

The dynamic growth of Pinterest demonstrates the increasing appeal of visual content. For some brands, the use of eye-catching and creative photography is an effective way of setting themselves apart in the marketplace.

As web access speeds up and Pinterest continues to grow, expect to see more examples of large and detailed photos online – for example, http://www.kentisburygrange.co.uk/ and http://www.fosterandpartners.com/.

3. More creative uses of typography

Imagery isn’t the only way to make your site distinctive, or to perfectly position your brand. Many forward-thinking site developers are also using typography to make their sites stand out from the crowd.

We now have a greater choice of fonts than ever before and, while the likes of Comic Sans should be consigned to the dustbin, others can really give a website a fresh and unique style that generates real competitive advantage – take a look at http://www.blackestate.co.nz/ and http://www.newyorker.com/.

4. Vertical scrolling and fixed menus

Vertical scrolling, which translates into longer rather than wider pages, is easier for smartphone and tablet users, and therefore is here to stay.

As pages get longer and longer, a very helpful design function is the ‘floating’ navigation bar which always stays on screen no matter how far you scroll down. Go to http://mashable.com for an example.

5. Demonstration graphics and ‘slideshows’

One increasingly popular way of demonstrating the benefits of products or services is in a graphical format on your homepage. This explains your offer using simple yet engaging techniques.

The ability of infographics to convey ideas and data instantaneously can be a highly effective communications tool, as can the dynamic and fluid nature of a slideshow. Check out http://evernote.com/ and http://www.mediafire.com/ – both of which do this very well.

We can help you design a website that is exactly right for your business or organisation. To find out more, contact us.