Web Design Trends for 2024

With the introduction of artificial intelligence and the boom in digital marketing, knowing the latest web design trends can help you deliver optimized websites to your clients that bring in a lot of business for them.

As human attention span is decreasing, your website needs to grab the visitor’s attention within the first few seconds, and the latest web design trends help you do just that!

So, what are the current trends in web design? In this design guide, we will share some design elements that can help you create a seamless user interface and an engaging experience for your website visitors, whether you're creating a new website or redesigning an existing one.

So, let’s jump into the newest trends in web design!

What are the current trends in Web design?

Some of the current trends are carried forward from 2022 web design trends, and these trends will stay relevant for at least the next few years. Here are a few of the most important 2023 web design trends.

One-page websites

2022 and 2023 web design trends geared towards streamlining the visuals. One-page websites with the key info neatly presented were front and center. It’s easy to see why – they look cleaner, they load faster, and they’re simpler to create.

Eye-catching lettering

Bold typography and vintage fonts were all the rage. Downsizing the visual elements allowed web designers to make the lettering catchy and the star of the show.

Gradients

Another big thing in 2022 and 2023 web design trends was the return of gradients in design. Gradient colors were long considered to be out of fashion. But, with the rise of retro-inspired designs, gradients have slowly come back into the spotlight.

However, trends in web design quickly change; some stay relevant for some time, while some go out of fashion rather quickly. So, you need to use them wisely.

What are the new trends in web design?

Some 2023 trends, like bold lettering choices and gradient colors, are here to stay. But what web design trends should you look out for in 2024?

There are quite a few, and they are tied to several different web design elements. Whether it’s the visual appeal or UI-focused site design, here are some of the newest website trends for designing a website in 2024.

Full height homepages heroes

Following the 2023 web design trends with one-page websites, it’s no wonder that designers will probably go all out with home pages in 2023.

But what are homepage heroes? The term comes from the film term “hero prop,” which holds special significance for the story and is more detailed than the other props. 

Homepage heroes are the visual elements whose job is to capture the user’s attention. Those visuals must be strong enough to capture and hold the user’s attention. Making them full-screen makes so much sense. 

But, when choosing the image for a full-page hero, you must always consider how it will look on various screens. You must cover as many possibilities as you can think of. 

Homepage heroes can be illustrations, photos, or even collages. Whatever you use, you should pick 1-2 main elements. With illustrations, this is especially important. You want the illustrations to be engaging so the users focus on them.

If you opt for a stock photo, the opposite is true. You should pick ones that aren’t too detailed. Stock photos are shorthand, and their purpose is to convey messages.

The illustrations are visually appealing and tell the visitor at one glance what the website is about. The color scheme is easy on the eyes and conveys a sense of calmness and trustworthiness.

The short copy with a perfectly placed CTA button urges the visitor to take action quickly instead of dwelling on the details to get the idea.

Dark mode

Some people are sensitive to bright colors. Some clients want their website to have a somber appeal. In such cases, dark mode can make your site design more friendly and accessible.

Along with responsive designs, dark mode is one of the most-followed trends in digital design. Also, the color palettes used in dark mode add a style statement to the website, making this trend more popular than ever.

Dark mode makes it easier to read light text on a dark background and even extends the battery life for tablet or smartphone users. For a web designer, dark mode allows more flexibility in experimenting with design elements and delivering a more creative design.

A dark mode allows designers to challenge themselves and create something truly unique. If you decide to give your dark mode more limelight, you need to consider the elements you choose carefully. The colors need to pop while also being kind to the eyes.

Art deco

Art Deco is one of the favorite modern web design trends for designers and businesses alike. It consists of clean and streamlined geometric shapes. The sharp edges, curved lines, and symmetry add a lot of playfulness to the website without creating a visual clutter.

Art Deco is one of the most in-demand trends in web design because it assists in faster loading times. This visual style is also incredibly versatile. Despite being a fairly traditional style, it can be used for all kinds of modern design (e.g. it’s great for logos).

Spring Invest’s website perfectly blends the art deco design style in the hero section to make their homepage look functional and decorative. The yellow dots are dynamic and adjust according to the screen size to form the company’s logo.

The minimalist design and organic shapes add a lot of personality to the website but in a very subtle way.

Thumb-friendly mobile navigation

As of 2022, the majority of people get things done on their mobile phones. This means that most website traffic comes from people using smartphones. The latest design trends will certainly take this into account.

Thumb-friendly mobile navigation might sound confusing. But think of it this way: the way people hold their smartphones (fingers wrapped around the back, navigating the screen with their thumb) influences how toolbars and other UX elements should be placed.

The most important ones need to be easily accessible to your thumb. A general rule of thumb (pun intended) is that the center of the screen is prime real estate in mobile website design. So, the most important elements should be placed there.

For example, look at this mobile-friendly design created for a freight business. It clearly states the business’s motive, proves its authority in the industry and captures attention with a hero image.

Apart from that, customers can quickly contact the business by clicking on Get Quotation, thus boosting sales. Customers can also easily navigate the website by clicking on the menu icon on the top-right corner of the screen, where the user’s thumb is while using a phone.

A thumb-friendly site design can boost user experience (UX) and conversions beyond your imagination. Hence, thumb-friendly mobile navigation is one of the top web design trends in 2023 and will stay in fashion for a long time.

Accessibility

We are (thankfully!) becoming more aware of how vital accessible design is. And it’s easier and more relevant than ever to consider other people’s needs.

Accessible design doesn’t mean sacrificing aesthetic value. It’s actually quite the contrary. Some principles of accessible design can really enhance the design overall.

To make a website accessible, the first thing you can do in your digital design is to have a stark contrast between your lettering style and the background colors/image. This contrast makes it easy for site visitors to read and navigate the website. It also makes your website more dynamic.

Another principle of accessible design is framing the link buttons so it’s easier to differentiate between the links. It also helps ground the icons or other visual elements of the buttons.

In today’s world, there is more awareness of accessibility - in society and on the internet. Thus, features like toggle to dark mode, sound assistance, captions on embedded videos, and more can help make a site more user-friendly for people with differing needs.

Also, in March 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice published a set of guidelines to offer guidance on eliminating barriers to accessibility on the internet. Hence, accessible web design is one of the hottest web design trends.

Voice commands

Keeping with accessibility, another trend on the rise is voice-activated commands. It’s been around for a while and more and more websites are introducing the option of voice commands.

Not only is it great for accessibility, but it can also streamline and simplify the experience for all users. Voice commands allow the user to navigate the site hands (and hassle) free.

AI-powered voice recognition technology helps visitors reach the page/get the result that they are looking for without navigating the website. 

Devices like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa leverage AI to understand and process voice queries better. Since these devices are rising in popularity, website designs that can handle voice commands are one of the new website design trends that are here to stay.

Organic shapes

Geometric shapes are versatile and convenient, and they’re not going anywhere as far as web design trends are concerned. But, organic shapes are becoming huge in web design trends.

What are organic shapes? In simplest terms, they’re shapes that aren’t made up of straight lines. They’re wonky, asymmetrical, and playful. Organic shapes can lend a bit of levity and a natural feel to a design.

Organic shapes can help a design seem more relaxed, with the sharp edges of the geometrical shapes softened. They can be used in many web designs, especially in dividing up the background in a natural way.

An obvious example is a soft, curved shape in a different color that divides two items, such as links or illustrations on a page, without a harsh disruption of the screen.

Bold Colors

While monochrome and small pops of color are classic, bright jewel tones and zany neons are set to make an impact in the coming year.

Traditional elegance is all well and good, but rules should be broken now and again. New website trends are gravitating toward playfulness. Colors are a tried and true way of spicing up a design.

Naturally, you should be careful that your choices always look polished and intentional. Choosing the best colors requires time and dedication, but it pays back in heaps.

Look at this website design created for a fashion website. It combines a minimalist design with a bold red color to make a great first impression. The design guides users to watch all the videos with a contrasting black CTA button. Also, the menu and cart buttons on the top-right corner make navigation easy for users.

Interactive interfaces

This trend can be considered an umbrella term for many different micro-trends. Here, we’ll take a look at a few of them.

People love things they can move and interact with. Little elements that allow people to really get in touch with the design include animations, interactive infographics, surveys, and social sharing options.

• Animations can be particularly effective in creating a more engaging web page. Little flutters or somersaults always look endearing. Also, an animation shows how much thought and care was put into a design.
• Surveys can seem intrusive and annoying. Still, there is a way to incorporate them without vexing the user. A little nudge toward a link is much better than a huge pop-up. Surveys are also invaluable when it comes to user feedback.
• Interactive infographics can be as fun as they’re helpful. Interactive infographics only reveal as much information as the user asks for. This stops the infographics from being overwhelming and difficult to navigate.‍
• Social sharing buttons are everywhere, and with good reason. You want your website and brand to reach as many people as possible. The option of sharing the website via social media casts a wide net for potential customers.

This website from Arcadia combines most of the elements that I mentioned above. It has an animated spinning wheel that can be paused with a click on the screen's bottom right. The CTA buttons help in guiding users to the pages that drive business. Also, the green bar at the top urges users to join their social media community.

Layerings

In 2023, layering is one of the coolest trends in web design. Layering is just what it sounds like - combining layers of design elements to add more depth to the website. You can add layers of shapes, illustrations, animations, texts, colors, images, or any other design elements.

However, there’s always the risk of overdoing it. So, stick to only a few layers of text, images, and illustrations.

Here is the personal website of the Japanese singer-songwriter SIRUP. Just notice how those layers of illustrations, texts, and colors add depth to the singer’s main image. 

Overlapping text and images

If you ask what the new trends in web design that suit the best for personal blogs, portfolios, or digital magazines are, then I will simply point you to this trend - overlapping text and images.

This web design trend combines micro-trends like minimalism and bold color schemes to give the website a fresh and professional look. This trend can also be combined with the aforementioned trends, like a full-height hero homepage, to maximize the page.

Thibault Pailloux, a freelance web developer and art director, showcases on his portfolio website how simply overlapping the images with text and adding a colorful underline can give a touch of professionalism to the website.

Artificial Intelligence

Whether you like Artificial Intelligence (AI) or not, it is here to stay, and yes, it is going to, or already has, disrupt many creative fields, including graphic design. But AI can’t replace human designers and other creative professionals completely.

Many web designers have said clients nowadays request to incorporate AI elements in their website design. Most of the time, the request is to develop a chatbot that can serve as a virtual assistant. A chatbot allows customers to ask questions or get essential support when human customer service agents are offline.

As I said, AI is here to stay. And if you want to stay relevant as a web designer in 2023 and beyond, you should start using AI tools. These tools can really help you make better design-related decisions quicker.

For example, if you do prototyping, you can use AI to blend standard UI elements from your company’s design library, significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to bring a new product to market.

Minimalist Designs

Minimalism is not just a trend for productivity but web designing as well. Minimalist websites are more of a psychological trick rather than a web design trend. The trick is to minimize the content on the webpage and direct the customer towards only one thing.

Look at the example below by Seed. The only aim of this webpage is to make the user click on the Shop Now button and complete the sale.

According to GoodFirm, 84.6% of web designers agree that a crowded web design is a bad practice and hinders user engagement. Thus, the more goal-focused your website design is, the better the conversions and site engagement.

Minimalist designs also look professional and boost the decision-making ability of users. Since there are fewer links, buttons, images, or words on the page, the user can target their decision-making ability towards only one goal.  

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