I came across this ebook on webdesign trends and thought it will be good to share with us. There are 15 website examples of each trend. After going through these trends and the examples, you may receive some design inspirations. I have listed the 11 trends with their explanations and four examples for each. If you will like to read the ebook and and see all the 15 examples for each, please download it here:
Webdesign Trends 2015.pdf
INTRODUCTION
Design is the mirror of culture. Changes in society, technology and art are always reflected in the current state of design. Designers are stretching the limits of matter and self expression in the constant endeavour to build something meaningful. This effort cannot be separated from the world - the ultimate source of design inspiration.
Web Design is by far the most dynamic member of the design family. Trends come and go quickly. Each year, though, seems to be more mature and the progress is easily visible.
In recent years we went through a massive interest in skeuomorphism, a robust usage of large typography, vintage websites, hand written fonts, wood patterns, big headers, enormous footers, etc.
Today, design is different. Users are finally in the center of the process and you can literally feel this while browsing through the web. Content never mattered more. The adaptation of websites to different screen sizes has become a standard. The visual side of web design leans towards simplicity and balance. Web Design has never been more mature and sane.
And yes, though the madness of flash has died, we can still witness a lot of craziness. Designers are stretching the limits of technology with Web GL, very popular video backgrounds and twisted variations of web navigation. Without experiments, though, there would be no progress.
Progress couldn’t exist without constant learning from each other as well. That’s why we’ve decided to analyze thousands of websites to look for the trends that are repeated by the best designers. We’ve found very popular patterns in 2013 and emerging trends that most probably will be very popular in 2014. Here they are:
1. THE ERA OF CONTENT
“Content is King” said Bill Gates back in 1996 and we waited quite a long time to fully feel the wisdom of these words in web design.
Today, finally, web design has become content-centric. Great text, amazing photographs and videos are the center of the modern website. The content rises above the layout and ornaments, or in other words - design creates the context for content.
Visitors don’t come to our website to admire the layout and overall design. Visitors come to a website to achieve their goals. In most cases content is the road to the goal and it has to be clear. The layout and design of the website attract visitors but it works only when
you have relevant, useful and catchy content.
Examples
http://www.1948london.com/
http://www.kahuna-webstudio.fr/
http://dangelicoguitars.com/
http://ed.ted.com/
2. STORYTELLING
Storytelling is a powerful method of communication. In The Psychological Power of Storytelling, author Pamela Brown Rutledge says “when organizations, causes, brands or individuals identify and develop a core story, they create and display authentic meaning and purpose that others can believe, participate in, and share.” Storytelling is the road to efficient web communication
and in 2013 designers seem to have finally grasped this concept.
The fact that storytelling is used not only by major brands to tell their stories, but also by non-profits to create an emotional response to important problems is all worth respect. After all persuasion is a big part of this design idea and nobody said it cannot be used for a good cause.
In 2013 designers mastered storytelling and I’m pretty sure it will be a major
trend in 2014. This is the kind of fashion we’d love to be ruled by, isn’t it?
Examples
http://www.dadaabstories.org/
http://www.browserawarenessday.com/
http://nasaprospect.com/
http://mediaboom.com/
3. RESPONSIVE WEBSITES
Three years have passed since Ethan Marcotte coined the term “Responsive Web Design”. Once a revolutionary fresh idea, has in the year 2013 been transformed into a commodity. Responsive Web Design (RWD) is not a mere trend anymore, it’s the reality of design expression.
I’d even go so far as to say that responsive web design will soon be as obvious as the separation of css and html for semantic reasons. It’s not a question of whether to use it or not. It’s a question of whether you can implement it properly.
We live in the post pc era. Mobile devices (and soon wearable computers) are growing in importance and today we have no other choice than to accept the fact that our websites need to provide an exceptional experience for different screen resolutions. In 2013 25% of the Internet traffic will come from Smartphones and Tablets. More than 25% of TVs sold in 2012 were
Smart TVs with Internet connectivity. Only responsive web design will let you easily serve all these devices and their owners.
Examples
http://www.northbounddesign.com/
http://cafeevoke.com/
http://trentwalton.com/
http://www.time.com/time/
4. FLAT DESIGN
To say that “Flat design is extremely popular” is to say nothing. Flat design took over the design world. Microsoft (since 2010), Google and Apple (iOS7) adapted flat design to some extent and thousands of designers followed. 2013 was the year of flat design and 2014 won’t be any different. Flat design will stay with us for a long time.
Some designers, though, tend to see it as the beginning of the revolution:
“I believe that the flat design trend is a symptom of growing maturity in the field of web and interface design. This maturity applies to our designers – who are getting better at making interfaces that encourage interactivity and engagement – as well as to our users.”
Examples
http://www.spelltower.com/
http://www.windowsphone.com/
http://builtbybuffalo.com/
http://www.theissland.com/
5. PARALLAX SCROLLING
Parallax scrolling in web design (previously popular in cartoons and video games) has been around for quite some time. Do you remember RGA’s website “Nike Better World”? It set the design world on fire. Suddenly everyone wanted to play with moving backgrounds and in 2013 the trend is simply obvious. Countless websites mesmerize users with a background illusion.
The parallax effect is the difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along different lines of sight. It leads to a certain illusion of 3D and creates an engaging environment for presenting content. If it’s not overused it’s a powerful weapon in the hands of a crafty designer.
Examples
http://letsyep.com/en/
http://www.zensorium.com/tinke/
http://www.moresleep.net/
http://www.quechua.com/campaigns/lookbook-spring-summer/
6. VIDEO BACKGROUND
HTML5 made it extremely easy to creatively use media on a website. The method that became particularly popular in 2013 is the video background - the trick of setting a large video as the background of a site.
A video background completely changes the visual appearance and adds a dynamic to the whole experience. While it might be inappropriate for e.g. a complex eCommerce website (as it might be distractive) it’s great for sites that are focused on telling the story.
The goal of a video background is twofold: endorsement of the user engagement and creation of an unforgettable, emotional, message.
Examples
http://hellohikimori.com/
http://whiteboard.is/
http://www.joe-san.com/
http://www.soniaby.com/
7. NON-STANDARD NAVIGATION
Navigation is among the most important pieces of every single website. No content would be reachable without properly designed navigation that answers the questions “where am I?” and “where can I go from here?”.
We got used to either a top, left or right menu. They’re patterns used since the beginning of the web. Something changed in 2013 though. Designers started to play with the concept and come up with really creative solutions. Some of them are more usable (bottom navigation), some less (usage of a keyboard in navigating through a website), but all in all this is an interesting
and popular trend that’s changing the way the Internet looks.
Examples
http://www.vespillo-lefilm.com/
http://www.cascadebreweryco.com.au/
http://www.adidasretailjobs.com/
http://beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayH6
8. FIXED NAVIGATION
Setting a position fixed for the navigation bar isn’t something new. It’s doable since CSS2 introduced absolute, relative and fixed positions for html elements. However, in 2013 fixing the navigation has been rediscovered in a twofold way:
i. Responsive websites often use fixed navigation bars to improve the navigation capabilities on a small screen;
ii. Fixed navigation bars with additional transitions add a dynamic feeling to the website.
The progress of technology (larger screens and bigger resolutions) has justified the fixed position of the navigation and honestly we’re hoping it will become a standard in 2014.
Examples
http://designtaxi.com/
http://theoriginalclassybroad.com/
http://blog.uxpin.com/
http://learnthesecrethandshake.com/
9. METRO GRID
The Metro UI name has been officially buried because of a possible trademark dispute. Microsoft offered “Windows 8-style UI” instead but the design world somehow refused to use it (sounds like product placement, doesn’t it?).
It didn’t kill the trend though. Together with the pinterest-like grids, metro grid has become extremely popular in 2013 and certainly will remain popular in 2014. Designers started to love websites and web applications full of nicely crafted boxes. Appealing, simple aesthetics almost dominated the Internet.
Examples
http://www.kitchenprague.com/
http://ugsmag.com/
http://readwrite.com/
http://thegadgetflow.com/
10. MIX-AND-MATCH TYPOGRAPHY
2013 popularized a typography style that we previously knew rather from fancy t-shirts than websites - mixing and matching several styles of fonts. The complex art of choosing the right font is stretched to the extreme in this trend.
Neck-breaking typography aerobatics will certainly be with us in the near future. It’s too powerful a brand-shaping tool to disappear.
Examples
http://forefathersgroup.com/
http://www.zegna.com/
http://www.skybox.org/
http://chriswilhitedesign.com/
11. CLARITY AND SIMPLICITY
Clarity and Simplicity are always in fashion. In 2013 however this became a major trend. Connected to the “content centric” approach and the flat design, the clarity and simplicity of an interface become a complete, powerful thing. It’s design at its best. Thoughtful, efficient and...simple.
Examples
http://www.b-reel.com/
http://haraldurthorleifsson.com/
http://www.carolinaherrera.com/the-house/en/
http://grafik.co.nz/
INTRODUCTION
Design is the mirror of culture. Changes in society, technology and art are always reflected in the current state of design. Designers are stretching the limits of matter and self expression in the constant endeavour to build something meaningful. This effort cannot be separated from the world - the ultimate source of design inspiration.
Web Design is by far the most dynamic member of the design family. Trends come and go quickly. Each year, though, seems to be more mature and the progress is easily visible.
In recent years we went through a massive interest in skeuomorphism, a robust usage of large typography, vintage websites, hand written fonts, wood patterns, big headers, enormous footers, etc.
Today, design is different. Users are finally in the center of the process and you can literally feel this while browsing through the web. Content never mattered more. The adaptation of websites to different screen sizes has become a standard. The visual side of web design leans towards simplicity and balance. Web Design has never been more mature and sane.
And yes, though the madness of flash has died, we can still witness a lot of craziness. Designers are stretching the limits of technology with Web GL, very popular video backgrounds and twisted variations of web navigation. Without experiments, though, there would be no progress.
Progress couldn’t exist without constant learning from each other as well. That’s why we’ve decided to analyze thousands of websites to look for the trends that are repeated by the best designers. We’ve found very popular patterns in 2013 and emerging trends that most probably will be very popular in 2014. Here they are:
1. THE ERA OF CONTENT
“Content is King” said Bill Gates back in 1996 and we waited quite a long time to fully feel the wisdom of these words in web design.
Today, finally, web design has become content-centric. Great text, amazing photographs and videos are the center of the modern website. The content rises above the layout and ornaments, or in other words - design creates the context for content.
Visitors don’t come to our website to admire the layout and overall design. Visitors come to a website to achieve their goals. In most cases content is the road to the goal and it has to be clear. The layout and design of the website attract visitors but it works only when
you have relevant, useful and catchy content.
Examples
http://www.1948london.com/
http://www.kahuna-webstudio.fr/
http://dangelicoguitars.com/
http://ed.ted.com/
2. STORYTELLING
Storytelling is a powerful method of communication. In The Psychological Power of Storytelling, author Pamela Brown Rutledge says “when organizations, causes, brands or individuals identify and develop a core story, they create and display authentic meaning and purpose that others can believe, participate in, and share.” Storytelling is the road to efficient web communication
and in 2013 designers seem to have finally grasped this concept.
The fact that storytelling is used not only by major brands to tell their stories, but also by non-profits to create an emotional response to important problems is all worth respect. After all persuasion is a big part of this design idea and nobody said it cannot be used for a good cause.
In 2013 designers mastered storytelling and I’m pretty sure it will be a major
trend in 2014. This is the kind of fashion we’d love to be ruled by, isn’t it?
Examples
http://www.dadaabstories.org/
http://www.browserawarenessday.com/
http://nasaprospect.com/
http://mediaboom.com/
3. RESPONSIVE WEBSITES
Three years have passed since Ethan Marcotte coined the term “Responsive Web Design”. Once a revolutionary fresh idea, has in the year 2013 been transformed into a commodity. Responsive Web Design (RWD) is not a mere trend anymore, it’s the reality of design expression.
I’d even go so far as to say that responsive web design will soon be as obvious as the separation of css and html for semantic reasons. It’s not a question of whether to use it or not. It’s a question of whether you can implement it properly.
We live in the post pc era. Mobile devices (and soon wearable computers) are growing in importance and today we have no other choice than to accept the fact that our websites need to provide an exceptional experience for different screen resolutions. In 2013 25% of the Internet traffic will come from Smartphones and Tablets. More than 25% of TVs sold in 2012 were
Smart TVs with Internet connectivity. Only responsive web design will let you easily serve all these devices and their owners.
Examples
http://www.northbounddesign.com/
http://cafeevoke.com/
http://trentwalton.com/
http://www.time.com/time/
4. FLAT DESIGN
To say that “Flat design is extremely popular” is to say nothing. Flat design took over the design world. Microsoft (since 2010), Google and Apple (iOS7) adapted flat design to some extent and thousands of designers followed. 2013 was the year of flat design and 2014 won’t be any different. Flat design will stay with us for a long time.
Some designers, though, tend to see it as the beginning of the revolution:
“I believe that the flat design trend is a symptom of growing maturity in the field of web and interface design. This maturity applies to our designers – who are getting better at making interfaces that encourage interactivity and engagement – as well as to our users.”
Examples
http://www.spelltower.com/
http://www.windowsphone.com/
http://builtbybuffalo.com/
http://www.theissland.com/
5. PARALLAX SCROLLING
Parallax scrolling in web design (previously popular in cartoons and video games) has been around for quite some time. Do you remember RGA’s website “Nike Better World”? It set the design world on fire. Suddenly everyone wanted to play with moving backgrounds and in 2013 the trend is simply obvious. Countless websites mesmerize users with a background illusion.
The parallax effect is the difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along different lines of sight. It leads to a certain illusion of 3D and creates an engaging environment for presenting content. If it’s not overused it’s a powerful weapon in the hands of a crafty designer.
Examples
http://letsyep.com/en/
http://www.zensorium.com/tinke/
http://www.moresleep.net/
http://www.quechua.com/campaigns/lookbook-spring-summer/
6. VIDEO BACKGROUND
HTML5 made it extremely easy to creatively use media on a website. The method that became particularly popular in 2013 is the video background - the trick of setting a large video as the background of a site.
A video background completely changes the visual appearance and adds a dynamic to the whole experience. While it might be inappropriate for e.g. a complex eCommerce website (as it might be distractive) it’s great for sites that are focused on telling the story.
The goal of a video background is twofold: endorsement of the user engagement and creation of an unforgettable, emotional, message.
Examples
http://hellohikimori.com/
http://whiteboard.is/
http://www.joe-san.com/
http://www.soniaby.com/
7. NON-STANDARD NAVIGATION
Navigation is among the most important pieces of every single website. No content would be reachable without properly designed navigation that answers the questions “where am I?” and “where can I go from here?”.
We got used to either a top, left or right menu. They’re patterns used since the beginning of the web. Something changed in 2013 though. Designers started to play with the concept and come up with really creative solutions. Some of them are more usable (bottom navigation), some less (usage of a keyboard in navigating through a website), but all in all this is an interesting
and popular trend that’s changing the way the Internet looks.
Examples
http://www.vespillo-lefilm.com/
http://www.cascadebreweryco.com.au/
http://www.adidasretailjobs.com/
http://beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayH6
8. FIXED NAVIGATION
Setting a position fixed for the navigation bar isn’t something new. It’s doable since CSS2 introduced absolute, relative and fixed positions for html elements. However, in 2013 fixing the navigation has been rediscovered in a twofold way:
i. Responsive websites often use fixed navigation bars to improve the navigation capabilities on a small screen;
ii. Fixed navigation bars with additional transitions add a dynamic feeling to the website.
The progress of technology (larger screens and bigger resolutions) has justified the fixed position of the navigation and honestly we’re hoping it will become a standard in 2014.
Examples
http://designtaxi.com/
http://theoriginalclassybroad.com/
http://blog.uxpin.com/
http://learnthesecrethandshake.com/
9. METRO GRID
The Metro UI name has been officially buried because of a possible trademark dispute. Microsoft offered “Windows 8-style UI” instead but the design world somehow refused to use it (sounds like product placement, doesn’t it?).
It didn’t kill the trend though. Together with the pinterest-like grids, metro grid has become extremely popular in 2013 and certainly will remain popular in 2014. Designers started to love websites and web applications full of nicely crafted boxes. Appealing, simple aesthetics almost dominated the Internet.
Examples
http://www.kitchenprague.com/
http://ugsmag.com/
http://readwrite.com/
http://thegadgetflow.com/
10. MIX-AND-MATCH TYPOGRAPHY
2013 popularized a typography style that we previously knew rather from fancy t-shirts than websites - mixing and matching several styles of fonts. The complex art of choosing the right font is stretched to the extreme in this trend.
Neck-breaking typography aerobatics will certainly be with us in the near future. It’s too powerful a brand-shaping tool to disappear.
Examples
http://forefathersgroup.com/
http://www.zegna.com/
http://www.skybox.org/
http://chriswilhitedesign.com/
11. CLARITY AND SIMPLICITY
Clarity and Simplicity are always in fashion. In 2013 however this became a major trend. Connected to the “content centric” approach and the flat design, the clarity and simplicity of an interface become a complete, powerful thing. It’s design at its best. Thoughtful, efficient and...simple.
Examples
http://www.b-reel.com/
http://haraldurthorleifsson.com/
http://www.carolinaherrera.com/the-house/en/
http://grafik.co.nz/
