Top-notch website design trends with examples

A website serves as a digital home for your company. As a result, your website must follow top-notch website design trends. Furthermore, your website is supposed to be the initial platform where your customers communicate with you. Your customers, on the other hand, will undoubtedly examine the design.

The design of your website is a strong weapon that may create or damage your brand. Content, visibility, usability, aesthetics, and user interactions are all components of a website. As a result, make sure that your website is the outcome of combining these features.

Let's take a closer look at each of the elements:

Content

The backbone of your website, as well as good content, is important for attracting traffic. You may believe that your website's design is the sole factor that attracts customers, but this is not the case; the real reason is outstanding, high-quality content. People are interested in learning more about your products and services. As a result, content is the most important aspect in converting your visitors into customers.

You can use a hero image as a background and then overlay it with your content to make your content more interesting. As of 2021, this is a popular trend. However, choose a high-quality image to impress your customers. Also, your content does not have to be written text; you may try out some new things like case studies, vlogs, video tutorials, guides, intriguing news, FAQs, and so on. I'm sure your customers would rather watch vlogs or videos than read the same dull text. 

Navigation

The flow of your website's structure is referred to as navigation. It should also be simple so that clients can find what they're seeking fast on your website. If they don't, they'll not only quit your website, but there's a good possibility they'll lose interest in it, and you'll lose a valuable customer. Make sure each page on your website is informative so your visitors know where they are. 

You can use industry practices for labeling links and navigation buttons to make this more effective. Another simple method is to thoroughly teach them via a chat feature, which might be a true indicator for customer service.

Design

Colors, forms, sizes, call-to-action buttons, and other elements are used consistently across your website's design. These factors contribute to your website's aesthetic appeal and visual appeal. Your website's design is the first impression you make on your visitors. So, to keep your website consistent, make sure you stick to the latest and top-notch website design trends. 

Another key aspect of website design is responsiveness, which means that your website's pages load so swiftly that your visitors are blown away. To keep track of speed, you can use Google PageSpeed Insights. 

Functionality & Usability

Key elements of a great user experience. Typically, your visitors will originate from mobile devices, so you'll need to make your website responsive to these devices if you want to attract a large audience. You can use a method known as RWD(Responsive Website Design) to aid you with this. The RWD technique aids in the creation of a highly adaptable and responsive website that works on any platform, from a desktop or laptop to a mobile phone. 

It ensures that your website's content adapts to the screen sizes of various devices and that your content is delivered to users in the manner that they choose. You may quickly reach out to additional traffic this way. Remember, if your website isn't responsive, it's a waste of time and the interest of your valuable users.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Make sure your website is optimized for search engines. Your website's SEO-friendliness is achieved by combining aspects such as device responsiveness, page load speed, sitemaps, and easy navigation. These characteristics ensure that spiders from search engines crawl and index your website. 

When your target audience searches for your items, search engines can crawl through your websites, scan your content, and match search phrases to the details discovered on its indexed websites, resulting in your website showing up in the search results. This is only achievable if your website is optimized for search engines.

Now that you have a fundamental understanding of a website and its key components, it's time to make your website stand out by following the latest website design trends. In general, trends define cultures that have existed for a long time, and website design trends are no different. They refer to the colors, fonts, typography, user interface, voice, UX, and many other aspects of a website that I will discuss in further depth later. 

The latest website design ideas add a sense of fun and emotion to your site. As a result, rather than sticking to the old patterns, you must keep up with the most recent and top-notch website design trends.

Some of the top-notch website design trends that will breathe a new life of your website into your online presence:

Parallax animation

Parallax animation has become one of the most popular website design ideas as online animations have become more complicated. A parallax effect is created by separating website items into foreground and background extremes. The depth provided by the utilization of foreground and background has also added to the effect of immersion by bringing the computer screen closer to the stage. 

Parallax animation is similar to the internet's magic. However, parallax is an optical illusion that occurs when items that are close to the spectator appear to move quicker than objects that are farther away. When we go by bus, for example, we may witness this impact in action. 

However, this effect on web pages appears to be equal parts genuinely real and surreal.

The following are some things to bear in mind when employing parallax animation:

1. It doesn't work well with websites that have a lot of content.
2. Finding information may be overly hard and frustrating for less tech-savvy people.
3. Parallax animation is not supported by older browsers such as Internet Explorer 8.

Websites that have a parallax animation are neueform, Avenir Creative, Vectary.

Neumorphism

Neumorphism, a successor to Skeuomorphism, has become one of the most amazing website design trends. Neumorphism is a style of design that mixes reconstructions of old, known materials with current designs, giving it a less realistic appearance. Falt design generally replaced this style in favor of more basic icons and colors that were more homogeneous and easily recognizable. 

It's a hybrid of old and new styles, with designs that imitate materiality by using selective drop shadows topped with semi-flat colors. This style provides for an experience that was lost in flat design, allowing consumers' desires to be reconnected. 

Neumorphism creates a soft, extruded plastic effect by combining background colors, gradients, forms, highlights, and shadows. Designers can add a physical aspect to the flat UI paradigm, giving them more aesthetic freedom.

When working with Neumorphism, the following points should be remembered:

1. It operates with a small range of hues and contrast, thus even the little divergence in saturation can cause the entire elevated effect to fail.
2. It's difficult for visually challenged users to see minute features in the design, 
3. Even those with low-quality screens may overlook them due to subtle shade differences.

Websites that have used Neumorphism are Adidas Neumorphism Landing Page, Creative Studio Landing Page.

Dark mode

In mobile phones, dark mode is a supplemental mode that saves battery life. As a result, it grew in popularity. Dark mode displays minted-colored text, icons, and other Ui components on a dark background. The dark mode is significantly gentler on the eyes and is especially beneficial for migraine sufferers. It was selected by more individuals because it can save battery usage. The dark mode also makes it easier for persons with various limitations or impairments to access websites.

Designers are increasingly looking outside the two extremes of dark and light for a change. They find a happy medium in soft color palettes such as pastel blues, light pinks, and warm browns. These colors are less jarring than pure black and white, and they also promote peace and relaxation.

When utilizing dark mode, keep the following in mind:

1. For components, use a dark gray as the predominant surface color.
2. To improve readability on dark themes, choose softer tones rather than highly saturated colors.
3. To avoid the design appearing dark and cluttered, use correct contrast.

Websites that use dark mode are Devart, Divi.

Scrolling transformations

Almost everyone who uses a computer has the habit of scrolling the mouse cursors for no apparent reason. And it results in a reaction on the screen. Interaction is a form of involvement, and people who are actively involved in what is going on are more likely to be interested and engaged.

Because scrolling is one of the most delicate kinds of interaction, web designers in 2021 are increasing the visual cues users receive when scrolling. This can include everything from full-color scheme changes to intricate animation transitions to whole layout modifications. Overall, web designers are putting effort into making each scroll feel like a new page or even a new website.

Points to remember while using scrolling transformation are:

1. The scrolling effect does not have to happen every time the user moves to a new area.
2. Scrolling can generate a three-dimensional effect.
3. Designers must employ scrolling in a way that does not divert users' attention away from the intended material.

Almost every website has a scrolling effect.

1. Digital interpretations of physical products

Your website's major component is physical products. As a result, they should be in the center of all websites. Products, in particular, are inspiriting actual design features via inventive, digital representations of real media. This may be color smeared across a page, similar to nail polish, or photos chopped into rounded rectangles, similar to smartphones. 

This method not only creates visual harmony between the product and its website but also makes web pages feel more natural and unexpected. With websites becoming an increasingly prevalent part of daily life, this trend of combining the physical and digital worlds appears tailor-made for our era.

Points to be noted when using this trend are:

1. You should also include product information. 
2. Use a high-resolution image of the product. 
3. Use soothing colors and shapes that complement your website.

A website like 99designs uses Digital interpretations of physical products.

Three-dimensional colors

Gradients have been popular in web design for a while. This style is achieved through fine shading, which gives the flat icons of the past a rounded impression. While we expect it to show up most frequently on app icons, web designers are increasingly ditching gradients in favor of backdrop blended colors that appear more flawed and natural. 

When two colors are placed next to one other, they may smear or preserve the shadows and depth of painted objects. But to successfully pull off the 3D colors, a fast-loading, optimized platform is critical.

Points to remember while using three-dimensional colors are:

1. Make proper color selections.
2. Don't use colors that are too saturated.

A website like 99designs uses Three-dimensional colors.

Voice user interface

A website is a way for your customers to interact with you. As a result, your website should have every feature that facilitates interaction. Using a speech user interface to conduct a keyword search, for example, would be amazing. 

In addition to the voice command option, the content available must be plentiful and of high quality. Because voice interfaces were designed primarily for data and information, make the material available and easily accessible using voice commands to capitalize on this prevalent trend in UI design. 

People also believe that voice assistants are faster and wiser at doing routine tasks. People with physical disabilities, chronic diseases (such as repetitive stress injuries (RSI)), and learning and cognitive problems can all benefit from it. Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon's Alexa are some of the most well-known voice user interfaces. 

Split-screen

When full-screen items are separated into two or more vertical pieces, a split-screen layout is used. Regardless matter how popular such website themes are these days, this selection can make or break your design. Split-screen layouts, when done correctly and logically, provide a fantastic viewing experience for your consumers. Split-screen layouts are ideal for minimalist website designs that aren't overburdened with bold components. 

Furthermore, it would be an excellent alternative for landing pages with side-by-side options. However, many designers are increasingly considering asymmetrical content divides. In contrast to past designs, where larger objects or items appearing on top were thought to be more vital, every type of material is perceived to be crucial in this type of website design trend.

Websites that have implemented the split-screen are Thalida, Fillet.

Surrealistic design

Photo manipulation, hand drawings, cartoon-style graphics, or photographs taken from unique angles or set up scenarios are all examples of surrealism in website design. You'll notice that the most prevalent form of surreal art in web design is floating islands.

It's a strange world out there, and you'll need to come up with a bizarre site design to succeed and amaze your website visitors. People are looking at designs that appear to be more dream-like than actual but nonetheless have a big impression. Abstract designs have never been more relevant in online creation, despite having been tried out in earlier website trends.

A website like Gyormoore has implemented a Surrealistic design.

AR & VR Experiences

AR & VR Experiences are responsible to complement each other in the improvement of UX with the use of technologies like headsets, goggles, digital projections, and so on. 

Virtual reality, unlike traditional user interfaces, immerses the user in an experience. It allows users to immerse themselves in an entirely made-up parallel universe. They move around and interact with the surroundings like they would in the real world. AR, on the other hand, allows users to see computer-generated pictures overlaid on top of their real-world surroundings.

Points to keep in mind while using AR & VR Experiences are:

1. First and first, designers must comprehend what works and what does not in terms of UX/UI. 
2. They must take into account technical constraints and ensure that the hardware enhances rather than detracts from the user experience.
3. Designers must also consider the various input options provided by various mobile devices.

A website like eyeconic has used AR & VR Experiences.

Variable fonts

Because topography makes up the majority of the website, words play a significant role. As a result, designers must know how to use multiple fonts, sizes, weights, and spacing to organize a typeface (serif, sans serif, script, display).

The use of fonts has shifted dramatically during the last several years. Developers have yet to master the most difficult fonts, but a little variety can go a long way. It's not just about having readable fonts on all platforms but also about choosing fonts that complement the overall website UI design. 

Based on the thickness of the strokes that make up the characters, weights are frequently categorized as light, thin, medium, regular, bold, and heavy. The big, bold type has emerged as a top priority for increasing readability and conveying the business's message and attitude online in recent years.

Website such as AxisPraxis has showcased the variable fonts.

Content and even more text

As already said above, content is the backbone of any website. Also, the phrase "content is king" is timeless. We are witnessing the advent of a new era with more text. Although there was a modest drop in the way developers used text, there has been a significant change away from stacked headers and wordy designs and toward more text as the main highlighted element. 

For text-rich designs, a triple or double-stacked title is the way to go. It gives you, even more, texting space, resulting in lower text size as compared to prior huge typefaces. However, the text must be valuable to be effective. Readers are a tough bunch, and if they can't connect the well-designed content to what they're looking for, it's all for naught.

Along with the text, visualized data is also in trend. Depending on the platform and the intended purpose, visualized data can be used as a static image or as an animation.

Content and even more text can be found on every website.

More Videos

The use of more videos is becoming increasingly popular these days. However, for consumers on the road who find reading text less appealing, there is a growing demand for more video content.

Not only does video simplify the material, but it also diversifies the page, allowing you to offer much more crucial information that goes beyond what your audience is looking for. However, including videos that deliver the proper message is a good idea. As a result, attempt to create valuable videos that won't waste your audience's time with each piece of content you supply.

Outrider, for example, makes extensive use of video.

Micro-interactions

Among other website design trends, micro-interactions have shown tremendous growth. They are available in a variety of formats, including chimes, scrolling animations, hover, and a variety of other possibilities for audience targeting.

The basic goal of micro-interactions is to appeal to the user's sense of surprise and anxiety. This occurs when a user performs a specific activity on a website and receives an immediate reaction in return. When you reload a website, for example, there may be a buzzer or notification to display an action, which equates to micro-interaction.

Website such as Grand Image has used this trend. 

Cartoon illustrations

Bye-bye, drab websites. Because Web designers can now utilize hand-drawn pictures, doodles, character illustrations, and scenic illustrations to transform a standard site into a one-of-a-kind experience. And all of this without sacrificing minimalism. A website that is entertaining and welcoming succeeds in holding users' interest and recall of the experience for a longer period.

The illustration comes very handy when there are situations that are difficult to express with just a few words or pictures. You can convey information rapidly without being overly literal. Because so many company websites have complicated things to explain, drawing helps customers grasp how something works or how it may benefit them.

Ethereum is a website that has cartoon illustrations.

In the end, adopting a design that resonates with your business, rather than being trendy, is what matters most. If you can strike a balance between the two, you'll be well on your way to a successful digital career.