Top 5 Web Design Trends for 2017

You already know that the days of Flash animation, hit counters, gaudy text, and cluttered-up websites are long gone. But what are experts predicting will emerge as some of top web designs for 2017?

1. Simplicity and Minimalism

Web designers have been paring things down for several years now, but in 2017, websites are going to get even cleaner and sleeker.

Look for bold typography, stripped-down navigation, minimalist color palettes, and a lot less stuff in general. Instead of headers, footers and sidebars all surrounding a cluttered central panel on every page, expect to see just one to three focal points per page, with a navigation bar that offers only a few options.

Lots of white space contributes to this simple aesthetic, as well.

2. Microinteractions

You might not be familiar with the term “microinteraction,” but chances are you’ve experienced them while browsing a website. Have you ever positioned your cursor over a design element — say, an image — and watched as a block of text explaining that image popped up, only to disappear again once you moved the mouse? That’s a microinteraction.

Rollover and hover-over microinteractions will be popular in 2017 and beyond, as will scrolling effects.

Microinteractions help web designers maintain that simple, clean look, while at the same time still providing the information that visitors to the website are seeking. For example, a “Meet the Team” page might be composed of photographs of a company’s employees, while a mini-bio of each employee is available when you hover over the photo.

3. Bright, Exciting Color Effects

Monochrome and duotone effects are likely to dominate trendy websites this year. Using just one or two colors — the latter often high-contrast, but sometimes just two shades of the same color for a more muted effect — can offer tremendous visual impact, while still following that streamlined aesthetic.

Many web design trendsetters will be creating websites that look more like a screen-printed graphic. And layers of color, often in bright or even neon 1980s-inspired shades, are going to be hot.

4. Web Design Gets In Shape

Geometrical elements have begun to make their appearance. Think circles placed around photographs, arrows and lines that direct the eye, even pictures that are cropped into triangles, parallelograms and other shapes. You may already have seen profile pictures or avatars that are round, rather than the traditional square shape.

5. Content Is Front and Center

In many cases, the previous four web design elements have one thing in common: they help keep the focus on the content. After all, that’s where most websites want visitors to look, since content is what drives social shares as well as search engine rankings.

Websites that are busy, with multiple articles, videos, pages, and actions to choose from, are falling out of favor. Don’t be surprised when you click on a site and see only one large image, maybe with only a few words’ worth of overlapping text, and only three or four navigation options, subtly positioned off to the side or in the corner.

In short, websites are going to look a lot cleaner, even emptier, than in the past. It can be difficult to keep up with all of the latest trends, so if you’re already feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to call in the experts to help!

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