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What could 2020 bring in terms of new (or not-so-new) trends in web design and digital?

Whilst 2018-19 was all about full-width images and flat no-frills design elements, new User Interface trends in mobile and desktop operating systems combined with a flow-over from social media is likely to bring some sharp changes to the web in 2020.

Combining photography with graphics and hand-drawn icons, the return of shadow, glow, and layered elements will add interest and character. Black or 'dark mode' sites and the use of neon/luminous colour and 3D elements will drive some futuristic presentations.

Designers are also returning to framing elements such as photos and video returning some whitespace to your screens - not a bad thing given the increase in use of large-format images and video. The trend towards rolling out minimal mobile navigation elements to all screen sizes is also likely to continue. Let's take a look at some of these in more detail and see how your new website could be shaping up in 2020.

Space To Breathe

coffee4business.com.au

Propeller have always preferred to work with plenty of white space providing content with some breathing room and letting the users eye lead them through the natural flow of the page. Previous years' tendencies towards parallax movement, no-bleed images and video seems to have run its course with the return of nicely framed and positioned images and content. Framing elements with plenty of space provides a canvas whilst pulling graphics and other features out of the flow of text-based content and away from screen borders serves to create focus and helps to prioritise the various elements of the page.

Back To Black

apple.com

Whilst employing full black or dark backgrounds for websites is hardly new, the introduction of 'dark mode' UI's to mobile and desktop operating systems has reinvigorated the trend. Applied carefully, dark themes can provide truly minimalist, modern presentations allowing carefully chosen visuals and accent colours to really pop. Dark themes play well with vivid blues, greens, pinks, and gradients as well as improving readability and reducing eye strain.

Hand Drawn

redfest.com.au

Propeller received many requests for one-off or hand-drawn illustrations and icons in 2019 and this organic style looks set to be in more demand in 2020. Hand-drawn elements not only create a more tactile and friendly environment but also make the website unique from the multitude of theme or framework-based websites on the web. Going against the pixel-perfect mainstream is also an excellent way to bring your brands personality to the fore.

A Shift Away From 'Flat' Design?

stripe.com/au/radar

Flat design has dominated web design for a few years now with simple, two-dimensional elements eschewing the previous skeuomorphic design features such as gradients, shadows, layers and borders. All that was old is new again with the return of layering, shadows, gradients, and floating elements showing that designers and developers are confident and proficient enough with flexible website layouts to dive back into some interesting and immersive interfaces. I think 2020 will show us some stunning artwork and out-of-the-box artwork on the web.

The Moving Picture

adobe.com

Large video headers and backgrounds started to really take hold in 2019 in the form of short clips and full-length presentations and we think this will only accelerate in 2020. Well-producedvideo can convey far more information and content than static images or text. Most users have access to fast connections by way of fixed broadband or 4/5G mobile these days so previous constraints on bandwidth are less of a concern but shouldn't be forgotten entirely - provide fallback static images or descriptive text to be on the safe side. Also consider providing captions to your videos to assist hearing-impaired users. Captions have shown to increase viewing rates on social media. In the case of The Deaf Society website shown above, Auslan provided in video forms the primary medium of communication around which the whole website is built.

3D Visualisation

genesis.com

Most modern devices now have more than enough power to display immersive 3D elements and the tools to produce them have become more freely available. All that is left is a touch of imagination! Expect to see some smooth, realistic 3-dimensional presentations and visualisations take hold in 2020.

So, What's The Upshot?

If any or all of the above trends become popular in 2020 and subsequent years we're going to see far more demand for custom designed websites. Whilst themes and frameworks have been great for some in reducing time and effort in bringing content to the web, it has to be said that a return to more skeuomorphic design elements, clever use of white-space, hand-drawn elements, manipulated photography and illustration baked into the website's design; is not going to favour themes. More flexibility will be needed to tie these bold new styles into the branding, subject matter and layout.

And Downsides?

One potential downside is that some of 2020's hottest trends may date more quickly too. As with everything there is always a payoff and the price of progression may in this instance be the need to review and update more quickly so ensure that your chosen publishing platform and designers/developers are not locking you into something that can't evolve with you as trends shift.

Whilst it's always good to stay current online, designers and clients need to exercise some caution with how they employ some of these new trends. Remain mindful of your viewers, their demographics and abilities, choosing design and layout elements wisely to stay on-brand and to maintain your website's ease of use. Don't be tempted to ignore speed of delivery, legibility, and quality of content in favour of too many bells and whistles.

If you would like to discuss how Propeller can help you to stay relevant and current online in 2020 and beyond, contact us now.