Web Design and Development Trends for 2018
Let’s start with what I believe will be the most popular and best web design trends in 2018.
Again, there’s nothing really new here; however, you’ll find that each has a unique spin on what the current best practice is.
1. Adventurous Color Palettes
You’re well aware that using color psychology can do wonders to improve your web design. While you should never throw those principles out the window, you may want to consider to what extreme you take those chosen colors in 2018.
Some current examples:
2. Rule-Breaking Typography
In another case of web designers being rebellious, 2018 is going to bring a major shakeup to typography. While I don’t think we’ll see traditional fonts in the main body text go away, I do think header text is going to get a lot funkier.
Some current examples:
3. Hand-Drawn Graphics
You know that you can use a handwritten font to give your web design a warmer and more personal feeling. But have you thought about using other hand-drawn elements to bring your site to life and give visitors a better sense of what you’re capable of?
Some current examples:
4. Subtle Animation
There are a lot of cool ways to add animation to your site. You can use CSS tools for subtle elemental animations or you could use WordPress plugins for more grandiose movements. We’re not going to see this trend go away, we’re more just likely to see it in smaller doses.
Some current examples:
5. Sticky Elements
I think this is a trend we’re already starting to see quite a bit of as web designers move away from overly obtrusive pop-ups and more towards out-of-the-way pop-ups. As visitors become pop-up blind (with the pervasive use of them across most websites), this is a smart choice for right now. However, rather than using the traditional pop-up box design, 2018 will bring more sticky bars to the bottoms and tops of websites–and not just for promotional offers.
Some current examples:
6. Website Push Notifications
Website push notifications are a lot like mobile and SMS notifications, except these messages are delivered directly to your visitors’ desktops (once they’ve opted in). While push notifications will never supercede email marketing or pop-ups, it’s another tool you should have in your site’s arsenal as you attempt to reach visitors in real-time.
Example of what a website push notification request looks like:
7. Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality
There’s been a lot of talk about augmented and virtual realities making a splash online for a couple years now. As we move into 2018, we’re going to see more companies take advantage of this augmented reality technology to give visitors’ a more “hands-on” experience as they interact with products, in particular.
Some current examples:
In addition to the cool trends above that we’re already beginning to see trickles of in web design, expect to see more:
- Single-page websites
- Google AMP content
- On-site AI (especially in the form of chatbots)
- SVG images
- Use of JavaScript
- Mobile-first initiatives
