In 2013 the Web Design industry will flourish with a lot more new and exclusive Trends and taking the lead is responsive or mobile first platform designs. These main changes are caused by two things. One of them is the rapid growth of mobile and tablet users. Last year saw more than 40% of purchases made online using a mobile device. The other fact is the increasing need to build websites more precise and low weight for these mobile users.
Responsive/Mobile Design Trends
The upgraded and technologically laden Trends have made the ability to design and/or customize a website with extreme ease and it has also made it very easy for a novice to create their ideal web design which allows the multitudes of mobile and tablet users a level of satisfaction and convenience to surf the web, as well as shop and purchase.
The mobile based design has also enabled users to experience a level of speed and convenience, never imagined in the past. Users can now check the daily news while traveling, control the temperature in their home and maybe even read a popular book.
You might say that both the mobile/tablet user is leading the way by demanding web designers to change to a more mobile and responsive design and layout.
Web Design Tools & Trends
We’re also seeing new web designing tools that have emerged as a result of this new trend in every facet of the Web Design industry. Some of the old tools like HTML, CSS have also evolved with this new focus. These advancements have made the job of a web designer/developer a lot less complex.
Another important web design trend we’re beginning to notice is a lot more attention to typography and tools needed to get the ideal look and feel of fonts and font sizes. More and more designers and developers are spending a lot more time paying attention to such things as what types of fonts and font sizes to use, line height and horizontal spacing.
Skeuomorphism Trends
I know what your thinking, what the heck is skeuomorphism? Wikipedia tells us. . .
“A skeuomorph is a physical ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques.”.
In more human terms skeuomorphic designs tend to look realistic (to make the connection with the original object clear), and realistic designs tend to be skeuomorphic (otherwise the realism would look out of place). Here’s the comparison:
A flat design where a web page is simply a flat look and feel vs
a skeuomorphic design which gives you a more realistic look and feel.
Or,
A homepage with page tabs, text in the content and sidebar vs
a skeuomorphic designed homepage with an image of a table and page tabs are actual books on the table.
It’s a very smart concept and fairly easy to integrate into a website. The end effect you get on your website is a more realistic look and feel. I could go on and on with examples but I think you get the idea.
What Does All This Mean?
I think what you’re going to find out, whether your a Web Designer or you’re a user on the other side of the spectrum is some pretty cool and fascinating trends that will make our lives much less complex:
- Decrease the need to refresh the page.
- Reduction of text to say something in one page, by utilizing typography more effectively.
- Better image usage to express your message…especially very large images on landing pages.
- Long winded articles will be a thing of the past.
- More important things will update a specific data without reloading the whole page.
- Simplicity in Web Designing where complex elements will become basic.
- Users will understand the content more easily.
- My personal favorite – a LOT less clutter.
In Closing and The Take Away Message:
Try building a BMW at www.bmwusa.com and you’ll see how they take this concept to a totally different level, the only difference is that you are adding the effect as you build your new BMW vehicle and not a new website. But you’ll see that essential idea. Try it out!!
