2021 was a game-changer for website design. From augmented reality to oversized elements, some really cool trends emerged. That said, it’s almost the New Year. Our design team spent the last few weeks researching new and emerging web design trends for 2024.
Just like the past few years, 2024 promises to end some cliches and set new benchmarks. It’s not limited to design either. Web standards too will undergo some major changes.
If you seek inspiration or want to simply get a peek at what lies in store, you’re in the right place. Stay with us as we dissect the top 12 web design trends that will dominate the landscape in 2024.
#1 – Smart loading web pages
In 2024, web pages will load as you scroll them. In other words, only the section that you scroll to will be displayed on your screen.
This is similar to how social media feeds work. More users are shifting towards touch devices and mobile-friendly websites. This trend is the direct result of the same. Also, Google’s been pushing towards user experience for a long time.
There’s nothing more jarring than a web page that takes forever to load. It’s even worse when you have to wait for everything to load before scrolling further down the page.
It results in a poor user experience and drives away potential customers. Fortunately, this trend solves all those problems.
#2 – Chat bots that are more human than ever
Chatbots have gone from pesky interruptions to lifesavers. But a common argument thrown against them was that they were too robotic. In 2024, they will help you make decisions and give recommendations.
In order to increase the appeal of bots, companies are deploying AI and machine learning. The result is bots that are un-bot like. They will interpret your questions and even use emojis when needed.
You can already interact with bots on messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Telegram to name a few. They do everything from ordering pizza to reporting weather updates. They will play a key role in offering dynamic content.
#3 – Bold will be the new minimal
The minimalistic design trend emerged a few years ago. It practically took over the entire website design landscape like wildfire.
But it’s time to change gears. Our designers predict that people will soon want something more bold and dramatic for their websites. The signs are already evident as major brands are shifting to using bold and saturated elements in the design.
Individual elements will have thicker outlines/borders which will be offset against thin screens. However, they won’t have thick drop shadows which are commonly used in minimalistic designs.
#4 – Virtual reality will become mainstream
Virtual reality isn’t a new phenomenon. But it was restricted to a niche market. For instance, an Airbnb offering shows you a virtual tour of a rental. In 2024, VR is all set to expand further.
VR is all about interactivity and hence, can be a great tool to amplify your user experience scores. Ikea is already offering people virtual tours. You can pick a furniture piece and virtually recreate how it will look in your home.
This helps the visitor in selecting the right product. In other words, it boosts their experience. E-commerce could be the biggest industry where we see this playing out.
Responsive design is non-negotiable. If you do not have a mobile-friendly website yet, go back and read our web design trends for 2009 article now. Just kidding. The point is, now that most businesses have a mobile-ready site, it’s time to make it work better.
Finger-friendly website design is tailored for smartphone use. For a minute, picture how you hold your smartphone while browsing the web. Now imagine a site where the scroll bar is positioned awkwardly. The buttons are too tiny. Even worse, there’s a button in the middle which you keep clicking accidentally.
Know what we mean? That’s poor experience and UX. Website designers will focus on mobile navigation that’s customised for fingers.
#6 – Hero images that pop out
The hero image is the most popular element in web design. It’s the part of the page that’s above the fold. In other words, it’s the first thing that people notice on your website. That means it must be powerful enough to draw their attention.
But for years, designers have used images in this area. In 2024, you will increasingly notice text here. Text with oversized and bold typography is a trend that started to emerge as early as 2020. It has grown stronger since then.
In 2024, it’s a smarter choice to make too. You need lightning-quick page load times. Text eliminates the need to have a separate image file. A good website design team can use colours and fonts to make it as appealing as an image.
#7 – Micro animations will be one of the major web design trends for 2024
Animations on websites disappeared circa 2011. They were clunky. Most of them served no real purpose. Besides, the onus was shifting on creating better navigation than just showing off an animated site.
Over the years, a new trend emerged, Micro animations. Micro animations are tiny and subtle. They appear in your web browser as you scroll down a webpage. You can use them purposefully too. For instance, an animated element that directs users towards the next logical step in a sales cycle.
What’s great about micro animations is that they don’t animate the entire site. Instead, they add little boosts to interactive elements. For instance, contact forms and buttons. Moreover, these animations play automatically in a loop.
#8 – Light & dark modes
It might sound a bit strange at first. Why should users have to change their web browser’s settings each time? Well, maybe it’s not as drastic as it sounds. Dark mode is definitely here to stay. A dark mode is a darker alternative version of a website that traditionally uses a light background.
In fact, you can already check out some sites that have done this to great effect. A lot of times, we browse the web in low lit settings. Constantly staring at the screen with high contrast and bright colours strains the eye.
A dark mode allows a user to switch over to a dark background. It’s easier on the eyes. Moreover, it looks cool too. With more screens adopting OLED technology, this trend is likely to become a prominent one.
#9 – More personalised content
People love it when their content is personalised. From Netflix recommendations to your Google search suggestions, these algorithms immediately increase user engagement.
A few years ago, websites started to use location to recommend country-specific websites. In 2024, we will see this expand to include user preferences. For instance, you will have the option to select your preferred news topics. You can even customise it on a daily basis.
#10 – Monochromatism will be a major web design trend in 2024
Monochromatism, or monochromatic design, is basically using one colour. It’s a trend that’s been around for almost a decade now. But it has never gained the popularity that designers expected it to.
However, in 2024, monochromatic trends will come alive. The use of single colours and shadows that remain consistent across the site will become standard.
The reason for this is that it becomes easier to draw the user’s attention to any CTA element. All you need to do is colour it differently. This trend helps you create fresh and minimalistic websites. But designers must tread carefully. There’s always the risk that the contrast and shadows are too pale. This can create a poor user experience.
#11 – Embedded videos
Videos are an integral part of any web design. They’re here to stay. However, it’s not the only way to communicate information to your audience anymore.
With autoplay videos slowly disappearing, websites have started to use embedded video clips within their copy. You can’t miss them. They usually appear in headers, but can also be scroll-triggered.
The hero image, for instance, is a great area to feature them. You can use them for storytelling. Some brands also use it to showcase their feature set in creative ways.
#12 – Illustrations will be one of the exciting web design trends in 2024
In the past few years, we have seen more and more business owners opt for illustrations. The reason for this is that they are less expensive than traditional graphic design work. Illustrators will be a major part of web design in 2024 as well.
Not only can you purchase them from a freelancer, but you can also find many vectors online too. The benefit of vectors is that you can resize and use them across platforms with zero quality loss.
We think that illustrations will play a major role in the dark mode phenomenon too. They’re perfect for communicating something graphically when there aren’t many colours or images to use.
Final Thoughts
These website design trends certainly excite us. 2024 promises to be a great year for anyone looking to set up their first website. On that note, our designers are only a click away.
There’s nothing worse for an online business than a website that looks outdated. Speak to us now if you want to breathe new life into your website design.
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