Web design is constantly evolving, and every year new trends are being followed to improve websites for a better overall user experience. If you’re not keeping up with these trends, then your website probably isn’t doing much for you, or your audience.
For anyone who’s not taking regular steps to improve and maintain a website, it’s time to pull out the web design handbook and start putting today’s most popular trends into practice. Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on in 2022 and the world of web design.
5 Popular Web Design Trends in 2022
There are obviously some fundamental rules of web design that everyone should be following, like optimising web pages for mobile and choosing a colour scheme that matches the look of your brand. But there’s a lot more you can be doing to improve your site, and you can start by following these trends:
- Video Content as a Design Element
- Better Accessibility for Users
- Relaxed Color Schemes
- Low Light & Dark Mode
- Illustrations & Hand Drawn Elements
Video Content as a Design Element
It’s no secret that video is a thriving element in the world of content. Video is much more engaging than written content, it’s more effective at grabbing (and keeping) the attention of your viewers, and it’s great for quickly teaching your audience about your brand.
Quality content is the first rule of web design, and videos are the best kind of content right now. For these reasons and more, web designers are using video backgrounds instead of photos or words a lot more frequently than they used to.
This trend has actually been going on for quite some time now, and a 2018 post from Forbes even says that “opportunities to engage consumers through captivating video content have never been this accessible.” So don’t be afraid to use a video clip on your homepage – you won’t regret it!
Better Accessibility for Users
Up until recently, a lot of digital marketing consultants and agencies haven’t been as focused on accessibility as they should be. But now, there’s a much greater focus on making websites and all of their pages accessible to all, and it’s being talked about a lot more than in the past.
Your site needs to cater to EVERYONE, even if they have an auditory, visual, or physical disability. The perfect example of this is to add functional alt tags for images that allow visually impaired visitors to get a description of each image.
Relaxed Color Schemes
Back in the day, most web designers were making sites with bright, high-contrasting colour schemes. But that’s in the past, and in 2022, designers are opting for softer features and more relaxed colours.
We’re seeing a lot more sites utilising warm neutrals and natural greens, or light pastel pinks and blues, and there’s a reason for that. We spend a lot more time on our screens than we used to, and these soft colours aren’t as harsh on the eyes as bright pops of lime green or hot pink.
Low Light & Dark Mode
Keeping on the topic of screen time and the effect that it can have on our eyes, this next trend is all about reducing eye strain. Modern web designers are breaking away from the white light and bright designs and starting to use dark and low-light modes instead.
Phones, laptops, and desktops generally have dark mode options built into their settings to help with viewing in low-light environments. Web designers are just applying that to their products, and the Netflix website is the perfect example of that.
You’ll notice that Netflix has a black background, and that’s not a coincidence. The streaming service knows that most viewers will be watching their movies and shows in low-light environments, and a black background is much less harsh on the eyes compared to a blinding white screen.
Illustrations & Hand Drawn Elements
Adding hand drawn elements and illustrations has become a major thing in 2022. A big reason for that is that stock photos are often too generic, and viewers can tell that they’re not authentic or unique in any way.
Illustrations and drawings, on the other hand, are completely unique, and they can give a website a more personal touch. Of course, you’ll probably have to hire a graphic artist or designer for this one, but it’ll be worth it.
Conclusion
The biggest trend among web designers in 2022 is to keep things simple. Professionals are straying away from the bright, bold colour schemes and complex functions and moving towards soft colours, minimalistic features, and simple illustrations instead.
Get in touch today to learn about SGD’s web design services and how they can help to keep your website at the top of its game.
