9 cutting-edge web design trends for 2018

Web design is an ever changing industry which is no surprise considering it is 2018. There are challenges that web designers face continuously as technology advances and broadens. Web designers are working full force to keep up with these changes by capturing the website's user-ability, consistency, clearness, corporate style, innovation, and adaptability all while appearing seamless to the user.

In 2017 there were several advancements and milestones that were achieved within the web design outfit. Headed into the new year, these developments have continued to become more apparent. Mobile usage has trumped the desktop usage and browsing leaving the web development industry working in overdrive to perfect the mobile friendliness of each and every site that is launched. This year should bring even further advancement with the performance and visual representation of mobile view. Desktops will also be challenged to become even more relevant as the mobile devices become increasingly utilized. With these several changes that have been brought to the forefront, here are nine web design trends that are taking the lead in 2018.

Nine web design trends to watch in 2018

1. Drop shadows and depth
Shadows have been a regularly used design tool for several years, but now the web browsers are coming out with many new variations of this effect. Some of these new drop shadow and depth changes are a result of the new parallax and grid layouts that web designers are using to create a more realistic approach to their work. These effects can grab the user's attention to add more focus to what needs highlighting as well as adding an overall appealing visual appearance. Although using shadows to alert the user that they are hovering a linked button is not a new design, using this effect along with bright and multiple color usage is a combination that gives the page a 3D effect rather then a flat web page.

2. Vibrant, saturated color schemes
Colors, colors, colors. This is the year for vibrant and saturated color schemes within the online world. Vibrancy is a the key to illustrating new and fresh web pages. Previously, web designers have stayed on the safe side when it comes to choosing color schemes for brands and websites, but now more than ever they have created colors, saturations, and design direction with no limitations. Monitors and mobile devices have gradually advanced their screens to be able to beautifully produce these colors and images to the viewer. Colors that are used with vibrancy and do not coordinate can seem extreme, but actually work wonders when it comes to catching the attention of a web surfer.

3. Particle backgrounds
Particle backgrounds is the new version of video background that otherwise had performance issues while running the site. These backgrounds are considered animations that load quickly and appear as a fitting part of a background in a web page. These lightweight JavaScript offer a moving image that does a great job grabbing the user's attention so brands and site owners can have great recognition instead of getting forgotten amidst the many pages the web has to offer. These same effects are also becoming a hot ticketed item for social media to also produce memorable impressions.

4. Mobile first
Mobile devices have become the main source of browsing in the web world. The majority of people browse the internet on their mobile devices more than their previous counterpart, the desktop computer. With this knowledge web designers have more then ever put their focus on how things appear and connect to the user through the mobile device. Previously smartphone usage and the like have taken a frustrating toll on those trying to navigate the web. With these advanced devices being put to use there has been the need for easy navigation and clear presentation for the mobile user. The latest mobile design in the industry is the roll-out burger, which is a minimization of the menu for the small screens when being scrolled through.

5. Custom illustrations
Custom illustrations are a perfect way to add a brand's personal touch that can also make it unique from every other website. These illustrations can be a fun way to add surprising and one-of-a-kind elements to the appearance of a brand's image. These illustrations can be just what the right-brained viewers need to see to process everything a site owner is trying to convey. For these types of thinkers it gives the ability to view a business as exciting and purposeful. No matter what the brand is trying to represent, custom illustrations are the way to capture their personal essence.

6. Big, bold typography
Typography has been around for a longtime within the web industry. It has been a way to present the tone of voice and personality of a brand and evoke the information needed to reach its viewers. Custom fonts and sizing should become an even wider array due to the powerful resolution and sharpness devices now have to offer. The contrasting of hand-made text fonts and sizing enables several browsers to create unique and interesting typefaces for the user experience. Headers within web pages that are utilizing these contrasting san serif and varying sizes will aid as eye grabbers for the user.

7. Asymmetry and broken grid layouts
Asymmetrical and broken grid layouts have been a huge hit for the web designers of 2017. Now headed into 2018 these previously considered unconventional trends are becoming further produced to appear on all the top websites. This type of layout is a further eye catching and memorable trend that can be used as a great way to add edge to a page and even be considered an experimental piece. This trend might be viewed as a risky design to implement on traditional sites, but for the large scale businesses this might be the exact look they need to push their lead above their competition.

8. Integrated animations
Animations are becoming a more popular integration to include within websites. This is true thanks to the advancements technology has been making in the web world. These integrated animations can engage the user and capture their attention where it is needed. They can be a great aid in directing the user to where the site is trying to highlight importance. These graphics can be helpful to animate smaller, less significant pieces like a loading icon or a hover state for a button. Businesses can get a lot of use out of the integrated animations by fitting the user's personal situations within their sales tactics.

9. Dynamic gradients
Gradients are taking over the colors that the original flat design once had. Expect to see dynamic color gradients become even more popular in 2018 as the trend of eye catching and 3D variances appear all over the internet. Previously these gradients were used for subtle shading. Now they are appearing more colorful and louder than before. One of the more popular usages of the gradients are though filters on photo editing software to add interest to the image. Background gradients can be another great approach to adding something to a site that doesn't have a good fit for an image placement.

Looking forward to the 2018 web design trends
2018 is sure to be full of bold colors, playful animation, varying typography and more in order to truly grab the web page's audience. We look forward to seeing these integrations and what other surprises this year's designers come up with to capture the world wide web. If you want to try integrating some of these web design trends of 2018 but have no idea where to begin, give Northeast Kingdom Online a call today and we can help you get started!


For more information, check out: https://99designs.com/blog/trends/web-design-trends-2018/