The 6 web design trends that will mark 2021

The year 2020 is officially over! If this was marked by the Covid-19 pandemic causing an unprecedented global economic crisis and forcing companies to reinvent themselves, it will also have been - as always, moreover - very rich in creativity in web design trends. On the strength of our experience as an agency and over the course of our monthly monitoring, we have seen them evolve ... And not just a little! So what does 2021 have in store? To prepare for the change, discover in this article the 11 trends in web design that will mark the next 12 months.

 

1 Darkmode, the flagship trend of 2021!

 

It is a trend that emerged in 2020, and it is certain that it will be confirmed in 2021. Can we say that it is the great web design trend of 2021? Totally!

The " dark mode " indeed allows displaying a majority of dark colors (very often this results in a black background) which has the advantage of reducing eye fatigue but also of consuming less energy and improving the battery life of our devices. In our increasingly digitalized society, this is a real plus!

From a design point of view, we cannot deny that this dark mode is also very elegant, it allows in particular to add a nice contrast with the colors of the website, which makes the colored elements more impactful for the user.

Offering the user, the option to switch between dark mode and light mode seems more and more common and interesting. This allows the user to participate, to integrate it in a way into the design of the website ... and therefore to optimize his user experience

 

1 Thetypography, an elegant contrast!

 

Once again, typography is in the spotlight this year! In the age of “king content”, it seems quite logical that they are one of the main trends in web design 2021.

Bigger, more imposing fonts, animated texts, bolding, full-page texts, mixtures of fonts ... Everything is done to try to capture the eye of Internet users!

1.   Brightcolors, a return to the 80s?!

 

In 2020, we saw a new trend bloom: gradients (moreover at IT Advice, since the overhaul of our visual identity, gradients are an integral part of our charter). Many designers and creators have dared to put more colors in their creations, the transition to bright colors happened naturally.

The “80's” style with its neon signs is making a big comeback in the world of design, indeed these luminous colors allow to create a certain dynamic in the visual.

They go particularly well with the trends of minimalism and dark mode: the creators do not hesitate to develop original, daring color combinations to capture the user's attention.

1.   Minimalism,the art of emptiness

 In recent years, the content of websites has been simplified, and this will be confirmed in 2021. The user is now king, and everything is done to please him.

Unlike the sites in the early 2000s, we will find fewer frills and unnecessary elements in websites with one goal: to make the browsing experience as smooth and pleasant as possible.

However, minimalism does not rhyme with "empty". It is important to "control" these white/empty spaces; the user interface must remain aesthetic despite this minimalist design and must not appear too simplistic or give that feeling of incomplete.

1.   Gifs,animations, illustrations: interactivity above all!

 

The video is a content format that has always worked. Some designers preferred to turn to gifs and animations and they were right! In 2020, we saw a lot of animations that appear on the websites.

Videos can still be used in different ways on a website, which can enrich your content and engage your user. The gifs or animations lighter (e.g., Lottie) is particularly suitable for web use because they are much lighter than videos, allowing more frequent use.

Be careful, don't overdo it either! If you add too many videos to your page, you risk weighing down the page and it could affect SEO as well as user experience.

With the arrival of more efficient technologies, motion design will continue to be as popular as in 2020. It allows you to add animations to your website, which will make your site more interactive and capture the attention of the user. Small animations (micro-interactions) also allow the user to take part in the website without asking too much effort and scare him away.

Illustrations have multiplied on websites in 2020, and with the development of animations and gifs, this trend will naturally continue in 2021. Illustrations are a great way to create a unique identity while bringing an aesthetic touch.

3D graphics, for complete immersion!

In 2020, creators and developers began to integrate more and more 3D elements. With the constant evolution of technologies, computers are more and more powerful and 3D is integrated more easily than before. These are very effective in attracting the user's attention.

Be careful with 3D though as it can have an impact on your site's performance, SEO, etc. In short, the use of 3D depends on the primary objective of your website