Design | 01.24.2019
Top Website Designs for 2019
When it comes to top website design trends, forward-thinking web design agencies (and their clients) are always looking to the next best thing. Much in the same way as hamburger menu navigation and flat icons changed both the way we browse and the aesthetics of browsing, these top website designs are spearheading new trends for 2019. Let’s take a closer look!
1. Expressive, Creative Use of Fonts
Source: A is for Albert
This animated website draws the user in with its creative presentation and its unique use of stylized letters and fonts to tell a story. Every item on this uniquely enthusiastic page has a tale to tell and a story to share, making it more like an interactive journey that invites the user in and takes them on a flight of fancy.
Among 2019 website design trends, you can expect to see websites making more creative use of fonts, letters, and styles in a way that’s quirky yet eye-catching and interesting. From intriguing fonts to unusual artistry, websites are truly becoming a canvas where expression is paramount.
2. Large, Vibrant, Realistic Photos
Source: Melt’d
The use of cookie-cutter stock photos disappeared some years ago, but now, with the advent of larger, sharper and more colorful displays across a wide range of devices, the trend is catching on to ditch even perfectly positioned photographs for real, “in the trenches” snapshots.
One could speculate that the popularity of real-life photos from sites like Instagram and Facebook has given rise to this trend. People are moving away from perfectly positioned and portioned stock photos to more realistic and honest styles.
Either way, when it comes to 2019 top website design trends, you’ll be greeted with a lot more realistic, in-your-face photos such as this one. With this type of design, companies are opening up to transparency and honesty as their hallmarks, so be prepared to see a lot more of this!
3. Striking Use of Black and White
Source PhoneJacks AU
Before you think that all websites are embracing the 4K Retina color revolution, black and white isn’t dead yet. And in fact, with its sharp edges and angles, together with a single “highlight color” to offset the rest of the layout, does exactly what it intends to do — it gets attention.
With many websites moving toward modern trends, unusual perspectives and fluid styles, there’s still a hint of nostalgia in there, and websites like these are here to remind us that we shouldn’t forget our roots.
You’ll likely see more and more sites shying away from bright, garish colors and instead going for more muted, subdued tones. Along with other top website design trends, this is definitely one we could get behind!
4. Unconventional Designs
Source: Plant22
Here’s an example of a design that breaks the mold when it comes to defying convention. It has a mobile-style menu, yet also encompasses the entire screen with its main links. When it comes to web design trends like this, though, you have to be careful. If people spend too much time trying to figure out how to navigate and browse your site, they’ll give up and leave.
There’s a fine line between being interesting and engaging and being cumbersome for the sake of being innovative, and few websites can pull it off successfully. Of course, this isn’t to say that you should not embrace unconventionality, but finding the right balance takes a keen understanding of your target audience, their browsing habits, and a little bit of guts.
5. Bold Illustrations
Source: Reech.com
Although large, vivid photos are making a statement, many other top website designs have elected to forego realistic photos and embrace more abstract illustrations to clarify their point and add a dash of creativity to what might otherwise be an entirely forgetful-looking site. These illustrations, combined with bold fonts and crisp color schemes give a website more “pop” while still maintaining a focus on the user experience.
The most important thing to keep in mind if you’re considering this route is to consider drawings that can be easily understood at a glance by your target audience. You don’t want to leave them dazed and confused by your eclectic choice of illustration, but rather demonstrate your difference in a way that can be understood and acted upon immediately.
6. Greater Adoption of Serif Fonts
Source: Tens.co UK
In a move that’s sure to make web typography purists everywhere recoil in horror, serif fonts (like Times New Roman) are making a statement on the web. Much in the same way that bolder photos are coming into their own, so too have larger, more vivid displays welcomed the use of serif fonts with open arms.
In 2019, you can expect to see several websites sloughing off the old skin of sans-serif and embracing the motto of “what’s old is new again” with serif fonts.
7. Unusual, Eye-Catching Graphics
Source: Middle Child
This whimsical site has truly embraced its inner child, with fun graphics and interactivity. Even the hamburger menu is always on the move. Much like the actual middle child, this site throws assumptions out the window with a creative and attention-getting design that thinks big and thinks outside the box.
Expect sites, even those not in the restaurant or food industry, to follow similar trends, creating eye-catching graphics that are on trend and lend themselves well to the mission of the company and its name. Not only does this type of approach help a site stand out from its competition, but it also further cements the branding of the company in a way that is unique, yet not so outlandish as to drive prospective users away.
8. Interactive Scrolling
Source: Radical Everything
On some sites, you have to expect them to break the mold when it comes to ingenuity. In the example above, scrolling will trigger the background to do all sorts of things in an interactive presentation that you can’t help but feel is inviting you to play a little. The more you interact with this site, the more that it shifts, changes and morphs in design to react to your scrolling.
While it’s not recommended that you change your corporate website to something so boundary-stretching, it is still a sign of the times that such interactivity is possible and is being used to create some fascinating websites that double as works of art.
The Bottom Line on New Trends Worth Watching
As you can see, design trends in 2019 are showing a distinctive slant toward greater creative and artistic expression. But they also aren’t forgetting their roots and are staying true (for the most part) to recognizable navigation, prominent calls to action, clear headlines and other best practices in web design.
You can absolutely go against the grain and push the boundaries a bit with your creativity, but don’t forget that some rules still apply in terms of usability and what your target audience expects to see from your website.
No matter which route you choose, it’s always a good idea to consult with a professional web design agency to determine the best path forward should you choose to incorporate new trends into your website design. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t rush to embrace these trends just for the sake of putting something new and fresh on your website, but rather consider how these advances in interactivity, design, and typography can enrich and improve the customer journey throughout your site, not just dazzle them on the home page.
[blog_callout text=”You shouldn’t rush to embrace these trends just for the sake of putting something new and fresh on your website, but rather consider how these advances in interactivity, design, and typography can enrich and improve the customer journey throughout your site, not just dazzle them on the home page.”]
Just remember, trends will come and go, but an incredible user experience and thoughtful analysis of your users’ interactions with your site will always be “hip and fresh”. And if you’re ready to take the next step toward having professional web design services or even custom WordPress development done, reach out to us and let’s talk! We can even help you determine which fresh new ideas may be worth considering for your own site, through our comprehensive digital strategy services.
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