2018 is officially here and with it comes new trends in web design. In 2017 we saw some significant shifts in web design including a strong focus on responsive design, frameless wireframes and a big push towards flat design. This year, web design is fluctuating in a different way, one that brings with it a uniqueness that will strongly define 2018 as a return to artistry. How? By breaking many long-standing “rules”, returning to old art styles in new, invigorating ways and incorporating a slew of exciting tech-driven changes that allow for exploration and creativity.
Here’s what you can expect to see on your screens this year:
DRAMATIC TYPOGRAPHY
The best way to describe design in 2018 is modern. This is the year web design ushers in the 21st century in full. We’re going to sleek, contemporary designs that scream, “Now!” And a big player in this return to modernity is what we’re calling, Dramatic Typography.
What we mean by the term is this: gone are the days of good old Helvetica. Typography plays a vital role in how eye-catching a web page is, it also helps focus the users’ attention on the information you decide is most important. Typography is huge in brand recognition, which is why this year we will be seeing web designers embracing bold, personal and creatively designed typography, much of which will be brand specific. In the balancing act between clean, flat designs and broken grid layouts, typography will act as an expressive go-between, that will include the combining of serif and sans serif fonts as well as playing with spacing and size.
Typography is a powerful tool. The new frontier of daring and audacious font brings with it the shift away from big buttons and clickable images, and instead pulls in users with its expressive, yet creative nature.
BRIGHT COLORS
Vibrancy. That’s what designers will be bringing to websites this year. Vibrant color choices to help content stand out, and stand on its own. The change to bright, dynamic colors is definitely positioning itself as a response to the minimalism we’ve seen a lot of in the past few years. Much like typography, color plays a huge role in drawing users’ attention and bright, bold coloring does it best. It also is great for emphasizing expressive points of view, emotions and change in an easy-to-understand (and see) way.
SOFT FLUID SHAPES
In 2017 shapes were sharp, with distinct, strong edges. But this year, designers will be moving towards softer, more fluid shapes. Expect to see a lot of smooth, flowing curves that add an air of movement and multi-dimensions. Designers will be shifting the axis from the common 90 degrees, offering slight changes in perspective that make a page feel fresh, bold and new.
CHATBOTS & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DESIGN
A new era is upon us, Artificial Intelligence has grown at an exponential rate and some are predicting 2018 will be the year of Artificial Intelligence Design. It’s a bit of a broad term, but what we can expect to see going forward is a lot more AI being incorporated on websites, leading to seamless integrations that make it easier to interact with websites in a variety of ways.
Particular to the government sector is the rise of the Chatbot, which more governments are beginning to use. With Artificial Intelligence expanding at such a rapid rate, we’ll see chatbots growing more sophisticated, merging tightly within web design, and bringing to the forefront designers with unique AI and webdesign skills.
ASYMMETRICAL LAYOUTS
Continuing the trend of bucking the traditional, this year will see websites opting for the non-linear, meaning layouts that do away with symmetry and even some that break the grid all together. This kind of experimenting offers unique, one-of-a-kind designs that are creative and artistic standouts. These changes are a great way for brands to gain prominence, and develop their own unique, sense of self.
THE RETURN OF BRUTALISM
Around since the 1950s, Brutalism is most famous for its architecture, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t played a role in web design. Over the last year we’ve seen a lot of designers making a return to the style, incorporating some of its most popular elements into new designs. Brutalism is known for ignoring all of the so-called rules of web design. Which is what makes it so exciting. Brutalism is, in essence, the punk rock of the web design world. So what exactly can we expect to see? Big fonts, radical typography, bright colors, geometric shapes and solid backgrounds. Which pretty much sums up everything on this list.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
Web design is an art form, and this year we will see it return to its artistic roots. There are many more trends we will see throughout the year, including more use of voice search, split screen desktop and mobile stacking, as well as hand-drawn elements. One concept that’s been growing over the past few years is Responsive Design and the mobile-first approach, this will continue as users continue to access the Internet primarily on their mobile devices. CivicLive is at the forefront of design when it comes to creating new, modern websites, learn more about the CivicLive approach to design, contact us today.