It is important that you are always on top of what is current when it comes to web design. From the latest technologies to what people want in a website, trends change every year. This article will prime you for what is relevant in 2016, ensuring that the websites you design are at the cutting edge of what’s hot.
The first trend, which is likely to be obvious to you, is mobile design. Everyone seems to have the Internet on their cell phones or tablets today, and you should cater to their needs. That means creating websites which are mobile friendly, having less graphics and smaller chunks of text.
As you begin to design a website, think of mobile users before anything else. Build a simple design that can grow to accommodate desktop users, either in a single site or by creating multiple websites. You may want to develop multiple websites for each type of device.
With CSS3 introduced, graphics are beginning to be phased out of web design. For example, you no longer need a huge, bandwidth-consuming graphic to create a gradient on the back of your page. Even rounded corners on text boxes can be created with CSS3.
Drop shadows are yet another element you can create through CSS today. That means your websites will load faster and look better than ever.
When it comes to design in 2016, minimalism is king. This not only accommodates mobile users, but creates a design which is pleasing and stress-free. If you use white space around your text, people will focus on your content more quickly and thoroughly.
Remember that white space doesn’t have to be white, just empty. You can have a colored background and it will still be very effective. The less cluttered your page is, the more likely people are to stick around and read what you do have to offer.
This is a great design choice for your front page, but likely won’t work on deeper pages on your site. If your website is a portfolio, it allows you to quickly make an impact when providing your content to the visitor. Be sure to only use this method sparingly to help save on bandwidth and load times.
Many sites today allow you to scroll infinitely. For example, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter all offer this service. If you run a blog, you can use this same idea to allow post after post to appear. A traditional website often doesn’t have enough content to allow for this, but a store or even photo gallery could make use of the technology for infinite scrolling.
After reading this article, you now know what is going on in 2016 when it comes to web design. That ensures that you will remain head and shoulders above the competition as you create websites. To be successful, you must remain up to date, so continue reading articles like this one and learning all you can.
