Web design trends in 2014

1. Responsive is a must

Great example on http://2012.buildconf.com/

Responsive layout is not trend-to-be, it is very actual and in 2014 will become “a must”. Since smartphones and tablets are selling like hotcakes there is huge marketing potential – having your website optimized for both personal computers, tablets and mobiles will extend its reach, traffic and visitors interaction with your company or brand.

According to Forbes, “responsive design means a set website is a thing of the past. Instead, we must not feel like all elements that fit on a desktop must be present on the screen of a smartphone.”

As it is quickly becoming the standard, if you don’t comply, it will negatively affect your Google ranking, also.

So, if you are planning new web site project, responsive layout must be 1st on the list – find pros who will know what will work best on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop-size screen and let your business and number of visitors grow.

2. Simplicity in design

Great example on http://www.triplagent.com/

Clarity comes through simplicity – we are big fans of these words. Finally, the state of the web entered the era of clean and simple formats used to be seen in print design earlier. This trend is known as Flat (or Metro style) design. Flat design is minimalist design on steroids. It’s about keeping it simple, clean and modern which are words we often hear out of most clients’ mouths. And it is not only trend in web design, but also in mobile apps design.

So achieve more by using less as 2014 is the best year to do it!

3. Higher quality images

Great example on http://www.wrightfeldhusen.com/

2014 will bring higher quality, more creative and unique images because pricing is affordable, loading speed is faster than ever, access to high quality images is everywhere. Optimization is still important, but  not decisive like it used to be.

4. Typography gets serious

Great example on http://mailchimp.com/2012/

Welcome to 2014 — the year where typography on the web gets serious. Actually it was always serious, now it’s just arriving at mainstream status. Web fonts, accessible as both free and paid, can now be incorporated into any web site making front end design more beautiful then ever.

The era of Georgia, Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica as major website typefaces is behind us. The era of print like typography is here to stay, giving us impressive results on final products.

5. One page parallax websites continue to rock n roll

Great example on http://www.ustream.tv/2013

In 2013 one page sites with parallax design rapidly became a trend. And it is because it’s all about the impact and making a BIG statement and WOW effect. Parallax design achieves that successfully with its scrolling mischief, powerful imagery, and strong and creative typography.

In 2014, parallax design will evolve into more exciting and interactive way including integration of full width videos, native animations etc.

6. (Simplified) content is the king

Great example on http://www.code42.com/

The supremacy of content continues to rise. While 2013 seemed to be the year of King Content, 2014 will keep the king humble and down to earth. Simpler content will dominate in 2014 and beyond as we create our websites.

Simplified content means short bursts of content, a la Twitter. Over the years, our attention spans have become shorter, so it has been compensated for that by putting content in short bursts instead of long narratives.

Not many areas on websites these days (except blog posts) have more than about 250 characters.

7. Storytelling

Great example on http://journey.lifeofpimovie.com/

Tell a story through concise, compelling copy coupled with strong imagery as they scroll down the page.

Let users discover who you/your company are by letting it unfold before their eyes. Let them start where you did and fast-track them to how you arrived at a solution.

Imagine scrolling down to the bottom of a website page, where the process unfolds like a fairy tale, or an evolution of sorts. Set a goal/challenge when creating a site, with something like this: “I want new visitors to be able to move down from the top of the page to the bottom in 30 seconds and to have a crystal clear idea of who we are and what we do. And for repeat visitors, I want them to easily identify where to go to make a purchase, or visit our blog, virtually without having to look.”

Sure, an effective “storytelling” website is easier said than done. But it’s a worthwhile challenge – and if it’s done well, you’re pretty much assured of a website that will be the belle of the ball.

8. Watching instead of reading

Great example on http://www.olympicstory.com/

Why read about it when you can watch it? Something else you will start seeing all over the Web (especially in hero areas) are videos.

Videos are becoming easier to produce, and easier to share not on your website, but on social media as well. While some may argue that videos don’t belong on a website home page due to the large amount of data they take to load and run (especially on mobile devices and internet with data caps), videos are an effective way to communicate something technical or new when words just don’t cut it.

Plus, many video services such as YouTube allow you to track how many views it got, allowing you to better plan your content for your website.

9. Native animations

Great example on http://en.dunlop-tire.ru/company/

By creating native animations using HTML5 / CSS3 / jQuery not only your site personal computer users will say WOW but also tablets and smartphone ones. Making your site format independent is crucial and that stands also for animations as a part of your design and UX. Although there are still a lot of sites who are using Adobe’s Flash for animations, due to compatibility issues, we are sure that in 2014 the use of native animations will explode.

10. Wordpress as (all in one) CMS

WordPress became well known as great blogging tool. And in its very core still it is. However, latest versions developed under community best practices and usage habits influence, transformed WordPress into extremely powerful Content Management System that works great on both big or small screens.

Weather you work on your corporate website, web media, e-shop or new start-up driven by great idea, free and open source, WordPress as CMS will be your great ally on the road to success. Easy to use and with thousands of plugins and themes available across the web, it has become a Swiss knife for making your beautifully designed site front-end dynamic and driven by extremely powerful back end.