Are you considering redesigning your website this year? Want to know what the future web design trends are so you can keep one step ahead of your competition?

With new technologies giving rise to new ways to view data it just isn’t possible to stick with the same site for years and remain current. If a modern look is imperative to keep you ahead of the game take a look at these 6 trends that will feature heavily throughout 2015.

Big thanks to TisIndia for creating the infographic.

 

In the ever-evolving landscape of web design, staying up-to-date with the latest trends and styles is essential to create websites that not only look fresh but also offer an engaging user experience. The year 2015 has brought forth some exciting trends in website design that have taken the industry by storm. In this blog post, we will explore six website design styles that have dominated 2015, shaping the digital aesthetics of the web.

1. Flat Design: Less is More

Flat design is a design style that gained momentum in the early 2010s and continued to be a prominent trend in 2015. The philosophy behind flat design is simplicity and minimalism. It’s characterized by the absence of three-dimensional effects like gradients, shadows, and textures, resulting in a clean and visually pleasing interface.

This trend is particularly popular in mobile app and website design due to its user-friendly nature. By eliminating unnecessary elements, flat design focuses on essential content, making navigation more intuitive and user-centric. Google’s Material Design and Apple’s iOS 7 both embraced flat design principles, which influenced web designers worldwide.

In 2015, flat design evolved further, incorporating subtle animations and vibrant color schemes to enhance user engagement. The use of bold, eye-catching colors and minimalist icons became a staple of this trend, creating visually striking websites that captured users’ attention.

2. Responsive Web Design: Mobile-First Approach

The mobile-first approach to web design became increasingly important in 2015, as mobile traffic continued to rise. With smartphones and tablets becoming the primary devices for internet access, designing websites with mobile users in mind became a necessity.

Responsive web design is all about creating a seamless user experience across various devices and screen sizes. In 2015, this meant not only adapting layouts and typography but also optimizing images and multimedia for smaller screens. Websites that were not mobile-friendly risked losing a significant portion of their audience.

Google also recognized the importance of mobile-friendly websites in its search ranking algorithm, giving preference to mobile-responsive sites in search results. This change forced many businesses and designers to prioritize mobile optimization, making it one of the most significant trends in web design for 2015.

3. Long Scrolling: Storytelling through Scrolling

Long scrolling websites became increasingly popular in 2015, thanks to the growth of mobile devices and the desire to create immersive, story-driven experiences. Instead of breaking content into multiple pages or sections, long scrolling allows users to navigate through a continuous flow of information by scrolling down the page.

This design trend was particularly prevalent in single-page websites and online portfolios, where storytelling and visual narratives played a central role. It allowed designers to guide users through a linear story or showcase their work in a visually engaging way.

The use of parallax scrolling, a technique where background and foreground elements move at different speeds, added depth and interactivity to long scrolling websites. This trend encouraged creativity in web design, as designers explored new ways to engage users and keep them scrolling.

4. Card-Based Layouts: Organized Content Blocks

Card-based layouts, popularized by platforms like Pinterest, made a significant impact on web design in 2015. This design style involves breaking content into discrete, rectangular cards that can be arranged and rearranged on a grid. Each card typically contains a piece of content, such as an image, text snippet, or a link.

Card-based layouts offered several advantages. They allowed designers to create visually appealing and organized content blocks that were easy to scan and interact with. This trend was particularly effective for content-heavy websites, e-commerce platforms, and news outlets.

In addition to improving content organization, card-based layouts also played well with responsive design. Cards could be rearranged dynamically based on the screen size, ensuring a consistent user experience on both desktop and mobile devices.

5. Minimalist Typography: Focus on Readability

Typography has always been a crucial element of web design, but in 2015, the emphasis shifted towards minimalist typography. Designers began to prioritize readability and simplicity in typography choices.

Sans-serif fonts, such as Helvetica, Arial, and Roboto, were widely favored for their clean and modern appearance. Large and legible typefaces became the norm, enhancing the user experience on both desktop and mobile screens. Line spacing and font size were carefully considered to make text content more accessible and visually appealing.

In addition to traditional fonts, custom typography and hand-lettering gained popularity in 2015, as they allowed brands to stand out and convey a unique personality. This trend also led to the creative use of typography as a design element in itself, with text serving as a visual focal point on web pages.

6. Background Videos: Engaging Visuals

In 2015, website design took a leap forward by incorporating background videos. This trend involved using videos as a backdrop for website content, creating visually immersive and captivating experiences. Background videos could feature anything from cinematic scenes to product demonstrations, adding an extra layer of engagement to websites.

The appeal of background videos was their ability to convey a message or tell a story without overwhelming the user. When used thoughtfully, they enhanced the visual appeal of websites and kept visitors engaged. Video content auto-played silently in the background, creating a dynamic and modern atmosphere.

However, it was crucial to optimize background videos to ensure they didn’t slow down page load times. This was achieved by using video compression techniques and choosing appropriate video formats.

Conclusion

In 2015, website design witnessed a dynamic shift towards simplicity, usability, and user engagement. Flat design embraced minimalism, responsive web design catered to the mobile-first audience, and long scrolling allowed for immersive storytelling. Card-based layouts organized content efficiently, minimalist typography prioritized readability, and background videos added visual intrigue.

These six design styles were not just trends but also marked a significant shift in how websites were designed and experienced. They reflected the evolving needs and preferences of both users and designers. While 2015 is now in the past, many of these design principles continue to influence web design trends today, reminding us that good design stands the test of time by prioritizing user experience and aesthetics in equal measure.