2017 has arrived faster than many of us expected – and with it comes a whole new host of trends and creative ideas businesses should be aware of. If you think this year is the perfect time for a re-brand or a new improved website, then you’ll want to have a look at some of 2017’s biggest web design trends. From popular colour palettes to responsive designs, let’s see what trends will dominate the web for the year ahead.
Design which revolves around content
In 2016 people began to realise that the team of experts involved in web design needed to collaborate more closely – including the web designer, developer and copywriter. With content becoming more and more important, it is vital that the design of the site does not take away from the message. Therefore, the role of design is changing, as it takes a back seat and simply helps the content, and the message, shine through. A web design shouldn’t take away the reader’s attention, it should simply complement the overall aesthetic and work side by side with the text.
Animation
That being said, visual elements are still fighting to be more engaging, leading to the rise of animations and GIFs. These could be really simple moving pictures, to try and highlight something on the page or get users to click a button. If you’re ready to use animations don’t go overboard, as you don’t want too many things drawing the eye – simplicity is always key.
Dark backgrounds
For the past couple of years white screens have dominated the internet – but that could be set to change. In 2017 we’ll see a return to black backgrounds and darker colours with lighter text. This makes words and photographs stand out more, so is definitely something to consider if your site lies within the fashion or creative industries.
Creative navigation
This year will see an end to boring, predictable navigation menus. The buttons and menus are almost always along the top of the screen or have a dropdown menu at the top or at the side – finally we’re starting to see some more inspiring navigation ideas. Hidden navigation has been fuelled by mobile design, and now it is starting to blossom on desktop too. One of the major benefits of a hidden navigation menu is it can travel with the user throughout the site, without getting in the way of the main content.
If you need a creative eye to help you launch a new website, speak to our graphic designers today.
