The stunning visuals and creativity are a crucial part of every good design. But with the technology development and the growing importance of the UX, the design evolves towards a more functional and user-centered approach. For this reason, 2021 web design trends cover not only visual design solutions but also the ideas on how to make your design embrace the new functional possibilities. So, let’s get started with our guide to the main website trends of the new decade.
List of web design trends 2021
- 3D elements
- Animated logos
- Widget sizing
- Design for Augmented Reality
- Colors
- Voice interface
- Illustrations
- Sustainable design
3D elements
3D elements are a design solution that can create stunning visuals and a great user experience. 2020 was a year when the 3D design was becoming popular, and, it seems, in 2021, it’s going to be one of the main web design trends. There are different variations of 3D design elements which can be static or interactive.
The interactive 3D website design can serve as a way to make a website more engaging and to add extra creativity to your design. The static 3D elements can make the design more realistic and boost your website visuals. Another great way to incorporate 3D elements into your design is to create 3D characters or 3D mascots.
Make your users fall in love with your new website design
Animated logos
Animated logos is another trend that is on the rise right now and is going to dominate in 2021. Making your brand logo move is a great way to boost your brand visibility. No surprise that animations entertain users and easily catch their attention. So, use animated logos if you want to make them captivating and create a memorable brand identity. Also, it is a chance to create a positive perception of your brand and give users a hint of what it is all about.
Widget sizing
With the introduction of IOS 14 widgets are now becoming the trend of 2021. They come in 3 styles and different sizes. If you want to grant IOS users the best experience with your app, you not only
need to create a widget for it but also make it useful and efficient.
Design for Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AG) is a technology that, with the help of your devices, allows you to see digital versions of different objects overlaid on the real background. AR is becoming a modern web design trend as it grants a better experience for e-commerce websites. Customers obtained the possibility to see more precisely how the product will look like in real life.
The possibilities are endless. AR can be implemented in web design as a virtual dressing room for the retail stores when the users can try out products online. Or this can be used for interior design ideas when you virtually try a piece of furniture or arts in your home to see whether it’s a good fit. All users need to have is just a web or smartphone camera.
Colors
The color scheme is an essential element of any design and certainly is a necessity for making your brand identity memorable. Luckily, 2021 will bring us multiple color trends to choose from. So, pick the one that will help your brand to stand out.
Comfortable colors
This year, the time users spend in front of their computers and other devices has increased considerably. They spend hours scrolling and looking at the screens. Therefore, designers started to include color palettes of soothing colors that are comfortable for users’ eyes. This trend will continue into next year, and it can be a great idea to include toned-down, natural colors that are pleasing to the eyes. Your website visitors will surely thank you.
Vivid colors and white surface
This trend can also help make your design more simple and easy-to-perceive but at the same time will help to emphasize your brand’s color story. By choosing vivid colors and placing them on a completely white background, you make them really pop but at the same time, they don’t overwhelm the user. Plus, it creates the illusion that your UI elements are “floating”.
3D colors
Three-dimensional colors are another trend that is predicted to dominate in 2021. Consider this as a step up from the gradient trend that was all around the internet for previous years. 3D colors give a more enhanced user experience for users. They create more texture and make users feel like objects are popping out of the screen.
Color trends
In case you don’t want to overthink it, you can just choose one of the trending colors for 2021 and create the color scheme based on it. So, here are the most trending colors for 2021:
- Set Sail Champagne
- Fortuna Gold
- Tidewater Green
- Dark Violet
Voice interface
The expanding size of smartphone screens made designers move all the “control buttons” to the bottom part of the screen in 2020 and now is becoming one of the UI design trends of 2021. This year, the UI will move even further to make the user’s life easier and enable the voice-controlled interface. The task for designers here is not only to create a user-friendly voice interface but also to teach users how to interact with it during the onboarding process as it may be confusing for some of them.
Illustrations
Illustrations are another 2021 web design trend that has moved from 2020 and still is very popular. Again, this is an excellent opportunity to create something original and fresh to stand out from other competitors. You can make your pictures move or even build all your interfaces and navigation around them. In this way, you add more dynamics to your website and stand out in order to be more recognizable by your customers. Mix it up with photos and you’ll get a truly great way to present your product.
Even the already successful companies like Adobe are using them. This year web designers will have plenty of options to choose from regarding illustrative elements.
Sustainable design
Whether you know it or not, your website also has its carbon footprint. The size of it depends on the energy it consumes and this, for its part, is related to numerous factors. For example, your website speed and SEO optimization. These factors influence the energy required to load and find your website through search engines. Sustainable design is becoming the web design trend for 2021 as the world is becoming more and more aware of the sustainability issue. But, in any case, the optimization of your website is always a good idea and contributes considerably to your online visibility.
Tricky UI Design Trends and How to Use Them
To sum up
Modern website design trends are constantly changing, but with time, there’s a new pattern that begins to shape in 2021. Regardless of the visuals and style you choose, your design should always be user oriented. The internet users now have much less time and attention to spare on your website, so if it’s not functional, it’s only not worth it. Also, the 2021 web design trends include not only the great design tips from the visual perspective, but they also are built around the main technology breakthroughs. The designers now have to elaborate more on how they can grant the exceptional experience that the new technologies offer its users.