Top Web Design Trends of 2021

As the online landscape continues to grow and evolve in 2021, so does the way that websites look and the visions that different website creators have. 

While web design in 2020 saw its own trends, 2021 will bring with it some new popular site looks and web design staples. The same applies to designing skills. It’s important to always improve and sharpen web design skills in order to have a competitive advantage in the market.

With this in mind, it’s just as important as ever that any successful web design agency keeps themselves up-to-date with what website owners are looking for right now!

Here are some of the hottest web design trends that we’ll be seeing a lot of throughout 2021.

Abstract Art Compositions

What you’ll notice about the majority of up-and-coming trends these days is that they are really more a modern resurgence of a trend of years gone by – and that’s certainly the case here. 

This year, one of art’s most long-standing and favoured styles will be making a comeback with a very modern twist!

In 2021 web design, we can expect to see the popular abstract art styles of the 1960s-1980s upgraded and reinvented for the digital age. 

What we mean by this is that, on many websites, solid backgrounds and minimalist page design will be replaced by far more creative, eye-catching designs which use abstract art compositions to give their page some character.

This could be in a sharper, geometric style or in a far more rounded, art deco-inspired style – either way, abstract art is here to stay in 2021.

Retro Fonts

Similarly to the comeback of abstract art, we’ll see plenty of websites throwing it back with retro fonts this year, too!

We don’t necessarily mean vintage typography, with elongated, joined lettering and grainy effects – rather, this will be a throwback to a more recent era, with the typography of the 70s, 80s and 90s being the most likely to make a comeback. 

Even then, we expect they will all have been given a slight update to keep them looking cutting-edge rather than cutting back.

The reason that we’re seeing so much retro in 2021 is largely down to the changing styles of web users themselves – youth culture has been making moves back towards certain retro trends across the board in recent years, so it makes perfect sense that web design is heading the same way.

Smart Content Loading

The majority of website visitors rarely make it to the bottom of the webpage because they’re looking for a specific part of the page or website.

So why should you force your site visitors to wait whilst you load a page full of content that they will not even see? 

You could find site visitors getting bored of waiting and heading to a competitor website.

That’s where smart content loading comes in. 

Using smart content loading, you can set the site content to load as the user scrolls, making visiting your page a much quicker and more convenient experience. In an age in which users won’t stand for slow loading speeds, smart loading will ensure that your site doesn’t get caught out and left behind!

In 2021, look into ways that can improve your website’s user experience through smart loading. Find out more in this blog about why it’s so important to tackle slow loading times.

Website Speed Optimisation

The natural next point is to look at website speed optimisation. 

Web designers and developers in 2021 are set to take a closer look than ever at the loading speeds of their sites, ensuring a much cleaner, quicker experience for each and every user; and at making their site work as well as possible.

While website speed optimisation isn’t a design trend that you can physically see, your site users will certainly be able to pick up on it if this is a service that your business and website doesn’t use.There are plenty of services out there that allow you to take a closer look at the speed of your website and assist you in making your site more efficient – and, in turn, more appealing for your target userbase to visit.

Parallax Animation

Parallax animation has well and truly risen to the forefront of web design in recent years, and it’s easy to see why! 

This quirky, animated scrolling style is sure to grab the attention of any website visitor, adding vibrancy and fun to even the most basic content.

Incorporating parallax animation can really help to create a live, immersive experience for your site visitors, which will drive traffic and keep people coming back time and time again. 

In 2021, nobody is going to want to sit and stare at a static webpage for any longer than they need to – especially when so many sites are expected to start including features such as parallax animation throughout 2021!

Scrollytelling

Scrollytelling – yes, like storytelling, but through scrolling – is essentially the art of releasing information to your users as they scroll through the page, rather than confronting them with large chunks of static text. 

Not only does scrollytelling allow you to express the personality and character of your site visually, but it also keeps your readers engaged and allows for a much more immersive experience.

We’re no longer limited to the internet design tools of the previous decade and can now be more creative with our web design than ever before – and scrollytelling definitely leaves site owners and designers with plenty of room for creativity, which will certainly be appreciated by each and every site visitor.

Gaussian Blur

It’s important not to underestimate the importance of aesthetic features like Gaussian blur. 

Gaussian blur is essentially a soft blend of different colours, which will allow your site to give off a hazy, atmospheric feel.

This is one feature which is most definitely a treat for the eyes and will give your site a touch of artistry that visitors will enjoy.

Comfortable Colours

When it comes to eCommerce web design, grabbing attention may be one thing, but convincing a visitor to continue browsing your site is quite another – and it’s much harder if the site colours aren’t so easy on the eyes.

We live in a world where we are spending increasing amounts of time in front of our screens. Eventually, it’s going to take a toll on our eyes and leave us reluctant to spend any more time that we need staring at brightly-coloured web pages.

Designers are taking this into account in 2021 and making the move towards far more comfortable colours – dusky, earthy, darker tones which do not take such a heavy toll on the eyes. 

Some of these colours, specifically earth tones, also have connotations of calm and tranquillity – an attractive feature after a year which was anything but.

Dark Mode

Not a new feature, but certainly one which is not used widely enough by smaller company websites. 

You’ve likely found yourself switching prominent websites such as Twitter and Facebook to dark mode in recent years – along with millions of others. 

With so many users now accustomed to the option of switching the lights out on some of their favourite websites, confronting your own site users with bright white pages could leave them feeling a little put off and heading elsewhere.

Dark mode is important for many of the same reasons that we spoke about when discussing comfortable colours. These days, site users just don’t want to look at an uncomfortably bright background for any longer than they need to.

Introducing a dark mode option for your site could be an excellent – and fairly easy to incorporate – way to meet the demand for more comfortable site aesthetics.

In Conclusion

While you shouldn’t feel the need to rush out and attempt to include each and every one of these trends in your new website design, it’s a good idea to pick out a few that will fit your pages and brand. 

Staying ahead of the trends and keeping up with the needs and demands of your site’s target demographic is one of the best things any site owner or designer can do to improve performance in 2021!

Get in touch with us at info@chetaru.com to discuss the next steps in your digital journey.