| As we're coming to the middle of this year, | | | | the user experience with more interactive and |
| everyone is trying to analyze the recent trends in | | | | responsive solutions. There's a lot more emphasis |
| web designing and web development. However, in | | | | now on site usability and creating sites that are |
| this article, we'll see what web designers and | | | | minimalist in design and easy to navigate (perfect use |
| developers are trying to utilize with the new features | | | | of CSS and a grid based layout). Horizontal scroll bars |
| to create impressive designs. We will also try to look | | | | have been out there for a decade, but today it feels |
| into the factors that are driving this change. | | | | that they are gaining a new context. The move to |
| 1. The days of static design visuals are dead | | | | horizontal scroll bars is probably an attempt among |
| With the online technology that is available today, | | | | some designers to provide a more distinct user |
| web designers are coding websites more creatively | | | | experience. One way to make websites more |
| than using simple images and html/css. Clients have | | | | responsive is through "keypress navigation," which |
| come to expect a higher level of functionality and | | | | hasn't been widely adopted so far. But lately we've |
| interactivity as they visit more and more websites | | | | observed more designs implementing this effectively. |
| that utilize things like Ajax, and JavaScript. Whilst | | | | Web designers of Web applications are paying |
| CSS3/HTML5 has started to step on the toes of | | | | significantly more attention to the way in which |
| JavaScript, JavaScript itself has started to inch into | | | | functionality is presented and are trying to improve |
| the territory of Flash. JavaScript has just finished a | | | | the user experience with more interactive and |
| major revision of its specifications for the language. | | | | responsive solutions. |
| Once browser companies adopt these standards, | | | | 7. Slab Typefaces |
| web developers will be provided with more tools to | | | | These are relatively new as in the past logos and |
| improve their capabilities in creating web applications. | | | | headers were smaller and more understated by web |
| 2. Grid-based designs, Mobile Designs, Retro Designs | | | | designers. However, combined with the trend toward |
| are gaining popularity as well. | | | | larger headers, slab typefaces demand the reader to |
| But Grid based is used mostly in portfolios, product | | | | take notice. |
| pages and big blogs; they almost never appear on | | | | 8. Rich and strong Typography |
| corporate websites or in online shops. With the huge | | | | It has played a major role in Web design for years |
| amount of data present, classifying information based | | | | now. Bold, strong, heavy headlines can effectively |
| on context rather than content will be paramount for | | | | convey the purpose of an e-commerce website or |
| companies which handle large amount of data | | | | portfolio, while subtler headings help structure content |
| (financial, social, etc). | | | | and improve legibility. Obviously, the big change we're |
| 3. Print Design influence | | | | seeing today is richer, more versatile typography. |
| Traditional techniques from print design are | | | | Oversized logos on an equally oversized header and |
| increasingly being applied to the Web, be they layout | | | | Footer. We've further noticed that Web designers |
| techniques or rich versatile typography. Web | | | | are extending their font stacks, adding increasingly |
| Designers are taking layout and design inspiration | | | | more fall-back fonts in case a specified font is not |
| from print. This includes lots of whitespace, large | | | | available. |
| type,use of a grid and clear hierarchy of elements. | | | | 9. Recent trendslike embossing, PNG transparency, |
| The layouts of these websites often resemble those | | | | rich user Interfaces, Font replacement, Huge Images, |
| of print magazines or posters, with striking headlines, | | | | Modal boxes(A modal box is like the pop-up's more |
| multi-column text, highlighted quotations, indented | | | | sophisticated They serve as a user-friendly |
| text, supporting imagery, side notes and footnotes. | | | | alternative to classic JavaScript windows), Media |
| 4. Faster and better Web browsers | | | | blocks, The magazine look, Carousels (slideshow |
| Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera has | | | | navigations, in which the content rotates vertically or |
| offered more choices to web users. But, well, it is | | | | horizontally), Introduction blocks(place the most |
| part of a web designer's job to make sure that texts | | | | important message of the website right there and |
| are easy and nice to read on all major browsers and | | | | thus make sure that readers get the message as |
| platforms. With browser wars is in full force, | | | | quickly as possible.) will continue to grow in this year. |
| Techniques for progressive enhancement are more | | | | 10. More Personalization |
| commonplace than before, giving users of modern | | | | As web designers look for more ways of attracting |
| web browsers a better web experience than those | | | | users and prospects to their websites and generating |
| who will not or cannot use them. This has surely | | | | business online, personalization is emerging as an |
| drive competition in web designing. | | | | important component of managing the web |
| 5. Growth of community-oriented Platforms | | | | experience for site visitors - and delivering business |
| In many ways, the growth of platforms such as | | | | value. Be simple, invisible complexity, big and bold, art |
| Twitter and Facebook has led the web to be much | | | | and creativity, bigger picture. Web Typography is |
| more community-oriented. Along with these changes | | | | going to reach some new heights in 2010-2011. |
| will come increased focus in getting information in | | | | JQuery, Mootools as well as CSS3 are evolving and |
| real-time. Twitter is one of the examples that give | | | | reaching new levels of quality and 'interactivity'. |
| immediate and breaking information on the sites. With | | | | Everything seems to be moving forward to larger |
| more and more growth of such social media | | | | elements which focus the attention. |
| platforms and more people participating in the | | | | If you haven't checked out CSS3 and HTML5 |
| creation of information on the web, the way in which | | | | websites yet ( like ), you should really look into it |
| we obtain information has shift from being from a | | | | because they will change the way you design and |
| singular source, into a more community-created | | | | code. You can take advantage of the new features |
| source. | | | | to create cleaner and more efficient layout. |
| 6. Interactive Designs | | | | It is possible that we have missed some other great |
| Web designers of Web applications are paying | | | | trends and factors. Why don't you contribute some |
| significantly more attention to the way in which | | | | interesting information here? Please don't hesitate to |
| functionality is presented and are trying to improve | | | | share it with us in comments. |