2013 was a very successful year for EMWD.com and for web designers in general. The two most successful web design approaches were Responsive Web Design and Flat Web Design. Both of these approaches can be expected to continue in popularity throughout 2014. We can also expect some other interesting design trends this year. Here we’ve compiled a list of web design practices expected to be popular in 2014.
Flat Web Design
Flat Web Design was immensely popular in 2013 and it looks like it will continue this trend in 2014. Flat Web Design is a minimalistic web design style, which means that it focuses on clean efficient text instead of ornamental elements. This style delivers clean, easy-to-read content. Some of the other design practices listed in this article tie in with this style, such as typography and colors.
Less Text
In keeping with the spirit of Flat Web Design, we’ll be seeing less text on websites. Anything that doesn’t directly relate to the page message will be taken out. Stripped down layouts deliver content in a more direct fashion. One of the replacements for this removed text is video. It’s expected that we’ll see an increased use of video for marketing on websites.
Navigation
Fixed navigation bars are becoming increasingly popular. They make navigating any site with large amounts of content much simpler because no matter where you are on the page, the navigation bar is there with you. It’s also becoming increasingly likely that we’ll see navigation bars fixed to the side of a screen, rather than the top.
Typography
Because minimalist designs are so popular, typography is becoming very important for great looking websites. When websites lack ornamental elements there is an increased emphasis on typography. Both good and bad typography are very noticeable in a minimalist design.
Bolder Use of Colors
Like typography, colors also play a key role in minimalist designs. Certain color schemes such as monochromatic are becoming popular due to the rise of the Flat Web Design approach to website design. Another interesting color scheme uses many colors on one design to highlight information.
Responsive Web Design
Another trend becoming increasingly strong is Responsive Web Design. Mobile browsing/shopping is a market that’s been growing for years. This year should be no different. The mobile web is also being replaced by Responsive Web Design. This means that instead of companies having separate websites for mobile and desktop visitors, they just have responsive ones that scale down to meet the screen proportions.
One Page Designs
Because of the rise of mobile devices, sites are being designed with scrolling in mind. More content is being placed on one page, instead of on multiple pages. So, instead of having to click on a hyperlink, which can be hard on a mobile device, you just have to scroll through the content. This saves time and makes mobile browsing more convenient.
Conclusion
All in all, it should be another interesting year for web designers. Flat Web Design seems to be here to stay this year, and the mobile market will continue to grow. Websites are oftentimes the first impression people get of your business/organization and if your website appears cluttered or isn’t mobile friendly, customers will get a bad first impression. The design practices listed in this article are practical for today’s online world. Some are just trends, like fixed navigation bars; others are soon going to become standard practice, such as responsive web design.
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