Web design is in a constant state of tug of war between form and function. As design is a very fluid environment by nature, there are many different ways to achieve a sought-after emotion or result. An approach that may be right for one business can seem very unusual for another.

2018 was largely concerned with increasing conversions by focusing on fast, flat designs that favoured function over form.

With the increased popularity of both animations and video backgrounds, 2019 is trending to pull back towards form whilst still keeping flat design themes.

Here are some of the main trends to look out for.

Animations

Animations are used the same way video backgrounds are in the sense that they reinforce a message and get the user to spend more time on the site. These animations could be anything from a button hover effect to full blown animations that occupy the majority of the page. The rise of CSS3 and SVG animations will cement this trend in 2019.

Video Backgrounds

Video as a main form of communication to elicit feelings is already being used in many websites across the net. It’s a great way to captivate your audience as soon as they land at your site. Look for this trend to grow significantly in 2019 as it provides an easy way to increase conversation rate.

Big, Bold Typography

The type of typography chosen for your site can really have a direct impact on the traffic that comes through your website. Some types of typography can be used to elicit emotion and other types can act as a beacon to capture the user’s attention. This is why more and more web designers are using big, bold typography. It aids in capturing the user’s attention but also sets an emotional tone when entering the website.

Asymmetrical Layouts

Although the main trend among web designers revolves around flat, minimalist designs, there is an increasing number of sites that opt for a more asymmetrical, broken grid design in hopes of standing out from the crowd.

Asymmetry is used to break out from conventional design, whilst still keeping the fundamentals of the old grid system in mind – the design complementing the content and message on the page as opposed to distracting from it.

Asymmetrical design achieves this by layering different colours, textures and shapes over another to create depth, whilst still keeping a uniform hierarchy that compliments the content on the page – a form of organised chaos if you like.

Gradients

The use of gradients has been around for a few years now and is showing no signs of going away in 2019. The adoption of its use by companies such as Apple, Instagram, Facebook and many others has cemented it as one of the main features being used by designers today.

So…is your website up-to-date?!?

It’s important to recognise current and upcoming trends. It’s even more important to understand when, where and how to use them in a cohesive manner in order to avoid cluttered design.

Websites go through natural cycles and neglecting their look and feel can have a negative impact on a business’s bottom line. Keeping up with current trends and using them in the correct manner can often turn the tide on a dying website.

Talking to industry professionals can get you going in the right direction.