Published: February 14, 2020
We’re back for the third and final installment in our series on the upcoming trends 2020. What else could we possibly have to say? This time, we’ve trained our perfect 2020 vision (get it?) on this year’s trends in web design. If you missed either of our two previous entries in the series, you can find the blog on graphic design here and the blog on typography trends here. Here’s what’s coming in the world of the world wide web.
Varied Visuals
Gone are the days of flat design. Sort of. We’re going to be seeing a lot more designs with 3D elements in the design and in graphics. Things like soft shadows, floating elements, and layered mixes of photos and graphics are the trend. Last year saw a little bit of this, but look for more of this from designs in 2020. Another thing coming in visuals is imperfection for the sake of personality. Like fonts and graphics, hand drawn elements like icons and such are on the rise.
Simple Setups
It may seem counterintuitive, but in the mix with layered elements, 3D, and mixed media, we’re going to see simplicity making a surge. New designs are embracing tons of white space, swaths of neon color, wide frames, and content framed in a minimal way. The simple designs with a lot of white or vibrant color spaces don’t have to clash with the layers that are trending, though. You’ll see these things combined in unique and interesting ways. Look for clean designs and minimal elements, as you’ll see in the next trend.
Minimalist Menus
Nobody wants to look at a huge confusing menu clogging up the design of a gorgeous header. One of the most frequent trouble points we address when redesigning a client’s website is the navigation. Too clunky. Too hard to find anything. Takes up too much space. The trend in 2020 is going to be, unsurprisingly, a move toward minimalist navigation. Already we’re seeing a return to single-page designs with simple jump links, albeit with much improved visuals over their awful 2004 predecessors. Not everyone is going to be going to a single-page website, but reducing the clutter and better organizing content will be the order of the year.
Accelerated Accessibility
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, websites are working hard to be accessible to everyone. Accessibility is important. At least 15% of people need accessibility options to experience your website in the same way as the other 85%. Whether hard of hearing and in need of captioning, partially or fully blind, or at risk for seizures, there are ways to design a site so it is accessible to everyone with a disability. The push for fully accessible websites is huge, and making your website compliant will give you an advantage over those who aren’t making the effort. There are a lot of plugins to assist you with compliance, so it’s easier than ever to be inclusive!
And that’s it. Well, not exactly. There’s a lot going on in web design right now, and we’re excited to see what else is coming in the new year. With our lists at your disposal, you’ll at least be prepared for rising trends in 2020, no matter what happens in the rest of the year.