RP Staff on January 23, 2021, 7:18 pm

Web Design Trends To Look Out For In 2021

With the current state of the world living through the pandemic, it seems like in 2021, people still have to stay at home for most periods despite the vaccine being rolled out in some countries already. What people who are sheltering in place have in common with everyone else in the world is that they have relied heavily on the Internet for entertainment, shopping, learning, working, and more. Businesses and other sectors vie for attention on the web with the look and content of their sites.

Technology rapidly changes and develops, and website design is just one aspect that continues to improve and provide site owners with the aesthetic and meaty content they need to help their target market find the products or services and information they need within the site.

Each year, website design trends promise Internet users more advanced, faster, and more designs pleasing to the eyes to captivate the users’ attention and actually stay in the site and explore. Here are some of the trends to expect to be the hottest things on the Internet come 2021.

Human-like chatbots. Website design also entails customer support for users. Chatbots have been a staple of websites to help users with the information they need, and they will continue to be relevant in the coming year. Artificial intelligence will continue to upgrade in the coming years, and Internet users are ready to level up their experience in asking for assistance without the need to talk to a customer service representative. These chatbots will cater to users’ service requests and even personal shopping, making them feel like they are actually talking to a human.
Retro fonts. Old things are back in style – whether it is in fashion or website design. Think of mom jeans. It was cool in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but their popularity waned in the next few years. But the mom jeans have made a comeback on store racks, and almost every woman is sporting the mom jeans. The same goes for retro fonts. They were cool back then and lost their popularity, but are now gaining ground again. We can see the integration of old and new fonts and their stylization to create unique and attractive options for design that site owners can use to enhance the aesthetics of their site.
3D images. The last several years saw the advent of high-resolution screens, and web designers did not take this for granted. They took full advantage of using these screens for a better user experience. 3D visuals were everywhere, and site users were enticed to stay on them, thanks to attractive visuals. People can expect more of these images in 2021. 3D elements paired with other design aspects will be a huge deal in the coming year for websites that are looking for cool, fun, and informative interaction with their visitors.
Asymmetry. Gone are the days when all that users see on the Internet are symmetrical images and layouts of elements. The next year will be all about asymmetry but will retain the ease of use on the site. Asymmetry may be viewed as a lack of balance, but don’t be discouraged or put off in incorporating asymmetric layouts on your site. You can still achieve the goal of visual harmony in your layout if you consider the focus on each page. Do not forget to take into consideration the size, movement, and color of your page’s components before you arrange them in an asymmetrical manner.
More muted colors. This year’s color trend of muted and neutral tones will be carried over to the next year. For web designers who are aiming for a more natural look and feel for their website, grains will not be the only element to make their vision come true. Neutral colors also have a way of making a site look and feel natural. Neutral colors are soft and cool to the eyes, so users can stay longer on the site.
Accessibility. Accessibility is a crucial element on the Internet. There are a lot of people with accessibility issues that want to make it easier for them to navigate the websites that they browse. Internet users can expect more accessibility features in website design in the coming year. Accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities are no longer just fads – they are a necessity for those who have disabilities. Developing a website with accessibility in mind does not only draw it to people with disabilities but improves its SEO and provides it with a wider reach. Some of the accessibility improvements that websites can do are as follows:
- Strengthening the contrast and brightening colors to distinguish text from background images
- Using alt tags for visuals and images also improves SEO
- Instead of low context placeholder text, use form fields
- Putting on focus indicators
Micro animations. Animations are not just for kids, although child-friendly sites can take advantage of this trend to encourage their young users to stay on the site and navigate various pages. Micro animations assist site visitors in navigating the site. They may be small, but they play a crucial role.
Organic shapes. In 2019, geometric shapes were all the rage. But in 2021, it will be all about organic shapes or shapes with no definite lines. When talking about organic shapes, think of the ones that are naturally occurring, such as the shapes of hills, leaves, the waves of the ocean, and the like. These fluid shapes are useful in breaking up elements or sections of a website.
Scrolling improvements. When you scroll on a page, you don’t only look at what the site has to offer; you are already interacting. So, in 2021, expect to see a lot of improvements in the scrolling experiences, such as changes in the color scheme, animations and transitions, etc.
Minimalism. A lot of websites will bank on minimalism, as less is more. The fewer graphics and visuals, the easier it will be for users to navigate the site, and they can gather more information thru text and videos embedded within.
Visualization of data. Understanding data may be hard if it is all text and figures. Sites will bank on visualizing their data to make their users understand them better and a lot easier. People are visual learners, and if they can learn about something with the help of visuals, then website developers will take that into account when they design sites for clients.
Better audio. This aspect is not only for accessibility but also for site visitors who prefer to listen to information than to read. This is most useful to news sites for their users to listen to news rather than read them. They can multitask while on the site.
Design systems. These systems are not just for the site’s consistency. It also benefits the site owner and designer when updating, editing, or adding elements to a site’s page. By using a design system, they can easily make changes to the site.

These 2021 predictions for website design are very promising and exciting for website developers and owners – be it businesses, bloggers, schools, hospitals, and more. If there is one thing common among these trends, it is that web design aims for realism rather than fantasy. 2021 will be an exciting year for Internet users with the promise of these upcoming trends. People the world over have spent most of 2020 at home, doing their work and attending classes in front of the computer, and the next year may still be the same scenario, only that there will be a lot of improvements in experience in navigating websites.

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