Web Design Trends 2016
Well 2016, anybody else feel like it was over as quickly as the smartphone battery life? As we say goodbye to an interesting year in the world of digital, let’s take a look back at the makers and breakers of 2016…
Usability trumps coolness.
Say it with us smartphone makers: BATTERIES BEFORE BEAUTY. It’s all about engaging the user and adding value to their life on a level they care about.
Goodbye hamburger menu. Facebook, Google, Apple, YouTube and Microsoft have already ditched it and others will swiftly follow. As awareness grows for the disadvantages of the hamburger menu on a user level, more designers will abandon this solution.
We saw a big shift in emotional engagement, video of course being our star player here. Animated GIFs and short videos are being used to increase engagement by amplifying the emotional experience, here’s one of our festive tear jerking favourites from 2016.
Typography got bolder and bigger, we saw an increase in Italic, all caps, oversized fonts, and handwritten fonts, and the use of large typography in combination with a minimalistic approach. Speaking of minimalism, we expect this is going to be an ongoing trend, with large background images, ghost buttons and flat design. Colours have been using a palette in combination with bright pastels and bold accent colours, here’s an interesting video on designers reacting to the Instagram update this year.
Loading… please wait, how about subtle loading states supported bb animations.
2016 took infinite scrolling to the next level. Sites have been implementing modular scrolling, and scroll sections independently.
And finally, goodbye to overbearing hero carrousels. What point is there in giving users a way of navigation somewhere without telling them what they will be presented with? If you present users with a carrousel, at least give them a notion of what to expect, naming the buttons, perhaps?
That’s it from us folks, stayed tuned for our web & app design trends for 2017…
Author – Andrew R