When it comes to designing industry, with every passing day new technology is introduced hence, trends change rapidly. If you are website owner, it is time for you to change your web design practices following the new trends of 2012. Now, I am not saying that you should continue to follow the trends started in the first month of the year till the last year of the month. Designing trends will change every now and then but you should adapt the set pattern for the New Year.
Adjusting to new trends does not mean that you have to completely redesign your website. The change should be subtle yet up-to-date. Following new trends is also a great path for designers to evolve every now and then. If you are a designer, you should be constantly on the outlook for new trends and discover something fresh, happening and attractive for the visitors of websites. Good change is always welcomed by people so with New Year, give your visitors something new and trendy.
As mentioned earlier, trends do not change drastically every year, as they are just a better version of what was being followed previous year. You should constantly strive to put something forward which is better than all previous trends. Every designer has its own way of designing and if you are a sharp designer, you will know how to incorporate new trends into your own style of designing so that your signature style remains there. Also, do not follow trends blindly. Adopt them with a little bit of experimentation on your side so that you are also recognized as a trend setter instead of a trend follower.
In this article we will be discussing some of the latest trends in the design world which can be followed to make the websites even better.
Gigantic Logos and Headers:
Gone are the days when Splash pages were the trendiest thing. They are no longer in the trend so get rid of splashy pages and incorporate oversized, larger than life logos and headers on your website. We all know that logos and headers are the most important thing in a website and they leave a mark on your visitor. Logos and headers are also a good way to stay in the memories of your visitors. Your logos and headers should be equally oversized to leave a good impression on your visitors. They do take up the entire page but with a good note.
Visitors do not like websites where a lot of clicking is required because they have suffered from poor navigations of website for years. So oversized logos and headers will give users an option to simple scroll down and view the website content. Splash pages also take a lot of time to load so extra large logos will take away the pain of waiting for the splash pages to download.
Handmade Designs:
This is not something which can be called latest but this is still very much in trend. Sketchy and hand-drawn designs always look really nice to the eyes of the visitors. However, a few designers adopt this idea because they have a phobia of not being able to draw sketchy designs. Don’t be afraid of the fact that you cannot really sketch something as most of designers cannot but, this should not stop you from designing a good web design. Trying new stuff is always good. Also, you are not drawing for a museum for it to be perfect. Web designing is all about being creative and if you can represent sketch and hand-made designs in a nice way, giving it a shot is worth it. Sketching can become an important part of corporate designs if implemented in a right way.
Chunks/Blocks of Bold Letters:
Ever heard of them term Slab typefaces? They have been around for quite some time now but have gained popularity in recent years. Usage of letters in Caps and bold are commonly referred to slab typefaces. Trend being followed earlier was small headers and logo due to which slab typefaces took a backseat. Now that we are expecting gigantic logos and headers, it should bring the slab typefaces back in trend. If you want to express yourself in a brave way, slab typefaces is the way to go.
Exploring Fonts:
When it comes to typography, most designers like to play it safe because the content should be readable. Trying something new and different in fonts has been completely out of question because of this reason. There are so many fonts available and they should be utilized. This year exploring and twisting new fonts is definitely among the new trends. Correct placement of typography is necessary and if you can do it well, you can surely bring the different kinds of font style in trends.
Single Page Layouts:
In 2012, quirky navigation is so going out of trend. Single page or one page layouts will definitely be a hit this year. The biggest plus point of such websites is that anything can be edited instantly. Blogs and personal websites should follow this trend and can make a website which is more of your business card.
Huge Imagery:
Just like oversized logos and headers, huge images will be in trend this year. Huge images, logos leave an impact on the visitor and it is always a good idea to stay in their memories. Not everyone is interested in reading content so, for such people the idea of huge images will definitely work.
Spontaneous and Interactive Designs:
Flash has been through its peak. In past years, I haven’t seen a website without flashy images and designs. However, usage has flash has reduced and become much more professional. This does not mean that flash is completely out of design world. It is pretty much the usage has become much more subtle. In 2012, interactive and intuitive designs will come back in the trend.
Less is Always More:
Remember the trend of minimalism? Yes, it is back in 2012. Usage of white spaces will make a come back. Just because you are creative does not mean that you should put all your creativity in a website. Keeping things simple and too the point will always stay in trend. Remember that minimalism does not mean cold, dull and boring. It’s just precise and too the point.
Exaggerated Footers:
This trend will continue and footers will become ever more oversized in 2012. Instead of containing contact information only, they will be more of an integral part of the website. A lot of personal information should be there in footers.
About The Author
Very nice! I do that as well. On my New Jersey History blog I like to use GIMP to create my footers and give them a “vintage” look.