With the natural evolution of technology, comes the change of web trends that are popular at the time. At some point, an idea is widely used and praised, but a lot of them simply get swallowed by time, giving way to new designs and solutions. The thing that will always remain true however is that the first impression means everything. The majority of your customers will make their decisions and build trust based on how they feel about your website’s design. With 2018. at the corner, it is time that we take look at some of the trends that you should consider.

Irregular grid layouts

Grid layouts are a perfect solution for combining page elements into a theme and making navigation easier. While they have been around for a while now, the way that they are being implemented has changed. With the introduction of the CSS grid in March 2017, designers have been able to be more creative. In 2018, we will be looking at greater use of neutral space and irregular grid layouts, to achieve a modern design. These simple designs make use of negative space in favor of content, so that it stands out and is easy to navigate.

Micro-Interactions

Micro-interactions have become quite popular thanks to social media sites. Everyone likes to make use of the ability to react to posts and messages, with likes, stickers, animated gifs, and the like. The great thing about them is that they enable interaction without the necessity to reload the page. It makes a great difference compared to traditional websites where you need to reload a page in order to do something, like, for example, submit a review. Micro-interactions override this and make it possible for people to communicate real-time.

Distinct typography

Back in the past, web designers could only use a limited number of fonts for their sites. Today, you can make use of a wide variety of web fonts. Some of them are free, while others are relatively cost-effective. Google offers a bunch of free fonts that you can implement into your design. Today, a lot of websites go for minimal designs, where an element such as typography can become the main focus. This comes with a number of advantages. Fonts are light and scaling them for any device is simple. If your website’s experience relies on typography, you are able to provide a perfect experience.

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs)

While not new in the field of web design, SVGs are expected to take over more traditional image formats like JPG, GIF, and PNG in 2018. An SVG is a vector image that isn’t made out of pixels, which gives it a lot of advantages. You can scale them to extreme sizes without diminishing their quality. At the same time, page speed remains unaffected if you animate them, because they don’t need any HTTP requests. In 2018, high-quality multimedia experiences will depend on this format, including 3D images, 360-degree views, and Cinemagraphs.

Progressive Web Apps

Due to apps being the majority of the mobile experience, web designers have found the solution to fuse the best of what the web and apps can do. The result is what is known as a Progressive Web App. According to the experts at Bapple, 2018. will see much more of the trend of websites upgraded with this feature. This will include elements like push notifications, animated transitions between pages, and splash screens. We are about to witness the evolution of this trend according to users’ personal preferences. With no need for installation, people can benefit from them from the get-go. They will be able to progressively build a relationship with the app, making it more powerful as time goes by. A Progressive Web App loads fast, places an icon on the home screen, sends out pertinent push notifications, and provides the user with a high-quality, full-screen experience.

In summation

What one can derive from these trends is that in 2018, web design will pay a lot of attention to creating simple, yet powerful websites. Mobile optimization will be key, along with a high focus on the user experience. Websites will include new styles, technologies, and formats. So, make sure that you follow the right trends and create the perfect experience for your website visitors.

Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash