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With 2020 just around the corner, it’s important to make sure your website meets the new demands of web design trends.

When it comes to websites, there are a few things that will remain important year after year, such as page load time, webchat functionality and responsiveness. However, web design is always evolving in order to improve the structure of your website and support the customer journey.

In this blog post, we’ll be exploring some of the key web design trends to look for in 2020…

VIBRANT COLOURS 

Incorporating vibrant colours into your website design can be a really good way to grab users attention. That’s why we’re seeing bold colours being used in web design more than ever before, and we expect this to continue in 2020. Bold, vibrant colours can help your brand stand out, especially when using contrasting lighter / neutral colours. 

Check out some of these examples – which have been nominated for ‘Awwwards’, which recognise the talent and effort of the best web designers, developers and agencies in the world.

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/the-happy-hero

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/affirm

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/clique-studios-1

Looks pretty cool, right? The real question is, what colours will you go for? 

COLOUR CHOICE

Did you know that colour can affect how consumers feel about a particular brand? In 2020 we believe that web designers are going to put greater emphasis on colour choices that can affect a consumer’s mood, thoughts and feelings in an overly positive way. 

The use of the colour red is being used more and more online after studies have proven that it is the best colour to use to grab attention. If there are key elements on your page such as offers, or important call to actions, explore how you can use the colour to help draw attention. On the other hand, yellow and orange are synonymous with happiness and enthusiasm, so you can use these colours to help your site to feel more approachable. And if you’re wanting to create a really professional look and feel, blue is linked with business and helps to establish authority. 

Here are a few examples of websites that have used colour choice to connect with their audience.

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/echoing-green

If you’re looking to incorporate colour into your new website design project, here’s a colour emotion guide to finding the right colour to portray your business in the right light.

COLOURFUL MINIMALISM

Minimalism – it makes websites clutter-free and easy for users to navigate. But, as you probably already know, this isn’t a new trend in web design. In 2020 we’re expecting this trend to transform from what has been known previously as ‘white space’ – where on-screen text and images are surrounded by white to instead incorporate coloured space!

Here are a few examples of websites that use colourful minimalism.

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/itg

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/bouguessa

These examples show us that that minimalism doesn’t have to be stark or boring. Instead, you can work colour into your site design whilst still keeping it minimalist. 

BOLD TYPOGRAPHY

Due to the popularity of minimalism, web designers have started to incorporate oversized lettering, or bold typography, in an attempt to draw the reader’s attention to the brand itself or the key brand message.

This can help aid the customer experience by allowing them to scan the page text and identify key points that are relevant or of interest to them. It helps to break the text up and have it presented in a visually engaging way. 

Here’s an example of bold font being executed perfectly without being overbearing. We’re anticipating this to be common within web design in 2020. 

https://www.awwwards.com/inspiration/bold-headlines

MICRO ANIMATIONS

What are they? They are small but powerful animations designed to direct the user through a website as they interact with it. They are commonly found in the hero of a website, here’s a great example of a site that using micro animations to enhance the customer experience – it has successfully added animations to the website’s navigation.

https://www.awwwards.com/inspiration/soletanche-bachy-transition-navigation

Micro animations have been popular for a few years but in 2020, we’re expecting them to be used much more frequently. According to Jonathan Maxwell (UI/production designer), designers will be thinking about how things would move if they were on a curve or wheel instead of on a flat plane.

One of the latest web design trends for e-commerce sites is using micro animations to enhance the user experience and give shoppers a taste of what their products are like. It allows users to view these micro animations to see how clothes fit and move on real people. Check out this example from GUCCI:

https://www.awwwards.com/inspiration/gucci-sneaker-24hourace-gucci

SMART VIDEO

We all know that people love video, and why wouldn’t they, they are pretty engaging after all! They are a great marketing tool if used correctly – there’s no point creating a video for the sake of it, without any purpose or meaning.

In 2020 we’re expecting more video content to be added to websites. Videos that really transform the website by being eye-catching and fun, while also representing what the company do, without over-complicating. We’ll be seeing video incorporated into the background of websites – and if used properly, this could really help to capture website visitors’ attention and keep them on-site for longer. 

Video background is one of the most popular website design trends and it’s definitely one that’s here to stay and evolve in 2020.

THUMB-FRIENDLY NAVIGATION

This is a no-brainer. We consume more content on our mobiles than any other device. That’s why ensuring your website is responsive and mobile-friendly has been key for many web designers over recent years. 

But things are changing, by 2020, having a simply responsive website won’t be enough. We’re expecting to see thumb-friendly navigation – but what does this mean? 

Well, it means tailoring your website to suit how people use and hold the phone. This will ensure that navigation is as easy and fluid as possible, taking into account the ‘thumb zone’. The Thumb Zone was coined by Steven Hoober – it deciphers how we hold our phones, and where the ‘thumb-friendly’ areas of a screen are. 

Here’s a picture which shows you exactly what we mean:

https://www.metaltoad.com/blog/thumb-zone

In 2020 we believe that web designers will start incorporating this – by making sure all touchpoints are easily accessible to the user’s thumb, such as the navigation bar and the menu.

ORGANIC SHAPES

In 2020 we’re expecting web design to move from geometric shapes to organic shapes. But what are organic shapes? They’re basically any shape that doesn’t involve straight lines – they are fluid and asymmetrical at times. 

Using organic shapes is a great way to segment or break up the text, without having to use any harsh lines, they’ll be kinder on the eye. Because organic shapes are typically asymmetrical, they can provide depth to a website, making certain elements stand out. We believe web designers in 2020 will design websites with the ‘human feel’ in mind – creating pages that come alive through illusion and shapes for a dynamic effect.

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/mawla-io

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/discover-your-purple

ASYMMETRICAL LAYOUT

This new trend follows on from organic shapes… Most websites are grid-based – whereby imaginary lines are followed to keep the website looking symmetrical and orderly. In 2020 we’re expecting to see grid-based websites to become less common, with website designers using asymmetrical layouts instead. 

This will involve placing design elements ‘randomly’ to make the websites look more creative and authentic. 

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/bauhaus-2-0

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/dada-data

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/revele-studio

SPLIT SCREEN

Split-screen website design is a layout technique used by website designers to showcase two separate elements at once – text and imagery side by side for example. These two elements typically complement each other and work hand in hand. It can also make the website look more appealing and well-organised, aiding the customer journey. We’re expecting web designers to make most pages dynamic with split design content in 2020.

Here is a great example of split-screen content being used on a website. 

https://www.awwwards.com/sites/hello-monday-2

Are you ready for web design in 2020? 

The take-home from this blog is to make sure your website is clean and eye-catching! We’re expecting 2020, to be filled with structured, vibrant, and striking websites that incorporate animation and video to enhance the customer journey and experience. They’ll also be mobile, and thumb-friendly – making each click as simple as can be! 

Here at Codeminers, we have a range of highly skilled and specialised web developers to help bring your designs and concepts to life!

Find out more about how we can help you with your upcoming project by talking to a member of our team or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.