Website Design Round-Up: November 2016 Edition

With the new year looming in less than two months, you might be wondering what is new in website design. For sure there are new trends coming in website design for 2017. I am anticipating some larger than life changes to website design in the next few years. It’s always exciting to take a look at what is on the way. Why don’t we round it up?

Top Website Design Trends for 2017

Needless to say, website design trends are constantly being updated. That’s the reason we do these round-up posts. Sometimes I think and wonder what innovation web developers will come up with next. In the early days of my Internet experience, I could have never imagined the things we have today like social media and smartphones. My phone does more than my computer could back then. It is insane. Let’s take a look at some website design innovations, or trends, coming in 2017:

• Messy, crowded, and asymmetric – I suspect this in response to the dull design of the minimalist movement in recent years. I am looking forward to seeing how this corresponds with Google’s emphasis on search experience
• Animations – Could Flash make a comeback? It’s possible because there’s also a distinct emphasis on mobile-friendliness and designers are using movement to catch and keep mobile users’ attention
• Material design – A design language developed by Google, material design emphasises grid-based layouts and uses different elements to portray movement and light. It is particularly singled out due to its friendly relationship with mobile devices
• Fast and Flawless – Users want fast-loading pages that deliver. Errors and slow pages will be frowned upon, if not completely ignored. Get user feedback and serve things up fast to succeed in future website design
• App-inspired – Think vertical-oriented and the in-app menu style with the three lines that lead to a drop-down menu. These are referred to as hamburger menus

How to Create Amazing Websites

At last, the slideshow/carousel website interface is taking its leave. I cannot fully understand why it stuck around so long in the first place. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather scroll a thousand miles than wait while one image loads every time I click “Next”. You can thank ever-shortening attention spans for this blessing.

Try a sketchbook and get up and let a design rest every once in awhile. Taking a break from development can make you see designs differently with fresh eyes. Not only that, but checking your design from afar can tell you if it really works or not. If you step back a few feet and squint, does it still work? Keep these things in mind as you work.

Beyond Web Design

It’s very difficult to predict where website design is headed as a whole. What will virtual reality mean for the Internet? I’m terrible at predicting these things, but I’m excited to see where things are headed. As I said before, I couldn’t imagine the capabilities of this little rectangular box I keep in my pocket even ten years ago. I expect websites to be something completely different in another decade. I’m thinking Minority Report with Tom Cruise floating in front of a transparent computer on ropes.

Wrap Up

What do you think website design will look like in the future? Is your website ready to go full hamburger menu? Which trend from 2017 will you make it a point to implement on your website? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!