2018 Web Design Trends – What Will Define Design Next Year?

Is the web just a modern-day information highway, or is it much more than that? Is it akin to billboards, street art, and the ever-evolving form of communication? With all the wonderful moments of 2017, it is time to make room for the new kid on the block. Ah yes, 2018. The New Year is upon us, and with that comes the constantly changing web design trends. What web design trends do you expect to define design in 2018? After much deliberation, Bigfin has come up with a few over-arching trends that we predict will take off running next year. Find out what you can expect to see more of and why!

Enhanced Microinteractions

Over the course of 2017, we saw more and more human-centered design take shape. Designs should always focus on their users. However, in 2018 we predict the user experience to evolve even further through enhanced microinteractions. To refresh your memory, micointeractions are small elements that can make a big impact on the usability of a site. For example, setting a password, updating a status message, or logging in are all examples of microinteractions. Even back in 2016 we predicted microinteractions  to be something worth noting. Now, Bigfin predicts an uptick in the quality of microinteractions, most notably seen in navigational applications. In other words, sites will consist of more swiping when applicable, and data input will likely be easier and faster. Microinteractions may also be optimized in the form of mini animations.

Subtle Animations

The web is already jam-packed with unique animations. Too many animations can lead to issues that bog down sites and overwhelm the user. However, we believe animations will be more prevalent across the web in applications that subtly enhance the design without overcomplicating or deterring the user. Again, the focus will be on improving the user experience—an overarching theme that can be applied across all web design. Speaking of user experience, let us turn the focus onto users. Out of all the different devices the average human has available at their fingertips, mobile seems to be the preferred platform for web interactions (most likely due to our busy lifestyles). Let that be known as that brings us to three of five web design trends we predict for 2018.

Mobile-Specific Designs

Ah yes, but of course we could not ignore the increasingly popular world of mobile. 2017 established many things, but with respect to device usage, mobile is king. In the new year, expect more interesting designs that are specifically made for mobile. You may be thinking this is already occurring, but not so fast! Google is actually pushing for websites to become apps known as, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). PWAs would allow users to surf the web offline and accommodate for more font varieties and styles. The catch here is iOS currently does not support PWAs. Meaning it would not be in Apple’s best interest to push for PWAs. However, if websites do become more powerful or improved upon like we have seen with other apps, there will likely be a huge shift toward increased mobile experiences and mobile-specific designs in 2018.

Colorful Fonts

Outside the regular yearly dose of new fonts, we are expecting a whole new type of font support in the web design world. It used to be standard for all fonts to be one single color. In 2018 a whole new world of colorful fonts and styles are going to be available for use. What does this mean? Most notably it implies a colorful year ahead along with search engine optimization implications for images that contain text.

Brutalism

The last of our predicted 2018 web design trends is brutalism. We spoke with one of our full-stack designers, Kegham, who had some input on the matter. He states, “Things are always going simpler, with a small hint of brutalism”. In 2017 the trend was to go simple, but the trends are shifting. The web can now handle ideas that were not possible before, like VR machine learning. He goes on to say, “The web has become a medium that is no longer constricted by simplistic markup. Things are shifting away from minimalism and towards maximalist”.

Well there you have it! Five web design trends we expect to see more of throughout 2018. Expect an increase in meaningful microinteractions, heightened use of animations, potentially an influx in PWA’s, colorful fonts, and a shift towards brutalist sites. Can you predict web design trends of your own? Share them with us in the comments below.

Web Design Trends in 2018 According to Bigfin

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