In the past couple of years, there has been a tremendous upsurge in web design trends. This is in response to the expectations and imaginations that have been placed on technology and its ability to deliver amazing web structures. The society we live in demands more interactivity when it comes to user interfaces and this has spurred creativity and innovation in the area of web designing. There are emerging trends that will most likely shape the web designing arena in 2014.
Responsive Web Design
Crossing over from 2013, this year is bound to see more devices with varying definitions, orientations and screen resolutions. Each of these devices requires different presentations of screen icons and other features. Responsive web design comes in as the ultimate solution where the development and design factors in and responds to the user behavior and environment. Depending on the screen sizes, orientation and platforms, this web design adjusts itself automatically to give the users an enhanced experience without loss of functionalities.
This design mixes flexible layouts and grids, images and CSS media queries to enable the website to switch in order to accommodate the resolution and screen size of the device from which it is being accessed. Experts say that the responsive design is based on the architectural approach where a room automatically adjusts to accommodate the people coming in.
Flat Design
This is another minimalist web design trend that lays emphasis on usability. It consists of clean open space, bright colors, crisp edges and two dimensional illustrations. It was first applied by Microsoft in its interface design and many pundits saw it as a backlash to Apple’s skeuomorphic design. Flat design identifies apps with icon-like images that are simply done. It showcases a clear separation between tactile objects and technology. The reason why the flat design is described as minimalist, is because any element which does not serve any functional purpose is considered unnecessary and a clutter.The popping buttons and bright contrasting colors make the flat design very attractive and attention grabbing. The icon-like images are simple in design and convey images clearly.
User Experience UX Design
User experience (UX) refers to how a user feels when they interact with a system interface. UX designing takes into consideration aspects like the utility, efficiency in task performance and ease of use. In addition, UX designers also look at the subsystems and the processes that define a system. For instance they may study the checkout process in an e-commerce shop with the aim of improving the user interaction and general experience. With the increasing user demand characterizing today’s web designing environments, web sites that are easy to use are the ones that carry the day. UX designs deliver exactly that; a user-centered approach to web designing.
These are just but a few of the trends that will dominate the web designing scene for a better part of the year with a possibility of crossing over to next year.