Top web design trends that made a big impact in 2018

Web design has evolved significantly over the course of the past year. This article looks at some of the key trends that have developed during 2018.

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1. Mobile responsiveness

A responsive site that looks good and offers full functionality on a small screen has become an essential element for all websites. This has become particularly relevant since Google introduced mobile-first indexing.

2. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and chatbots

The rise in these cutting-edge technologies has had a knock-on effect on web designers. Integrating virtual reality and 360-degree videos into websites and using ‘chatbots’ to interact with site visitors are just two ways in which design has been impacted by these exciting developments.

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3. Brighter colours, fluid shapes and split screens

Following a period in which the trend was for web-safe colours and geometric shapes, things have now moved towards vivid palettes and fluid shapes. Not surprisingly, the idea is to attract and entice visitors through visual appeal. Likewise, the trend toward split screen aims to offer a more enjoyable user experience.

4. Low-key animation

Animations on a website can negatively impact site speed and user experience, so the trend has moved towards using subtler animations that delight and engage visitors without being overly intrusive or distracting.

5. Voice search

Most sites incorporate a search feature, often in the form of a text box. However, the trend is moving towards giving site visitors the option to search using their voice. This is becoming a more familiar feature and one that web designers should start using, as it could lead to an uplift in site usage.

6. Vector graphics

The final trend that website designers should be aware of is the growing move towards using vectors. Specifically, there has been a trend towards scalable vector graphic images, which are lightweight images of a vector that maintain optimum site speed and offer a 360-degree view.

Designers are also increasingly utilising such features as floating navigational menus and broken grid layouts. For professional advice from a website design company Gloucester based net9design (https://www.net9design.com) can offer advice on all the latest trends and design features.

This article has just scratched the surface of the trends that are currently influencing web design. No doubt 2019 will see even more exciting trends emerge.