The web-based world is undergoing a creative explosion. Advances in web design technology, along with the consistent need for the next big attention-grabbing design, mean new trends are emerging at an unprecedented rate. It’s important that web developers stay up to date with the latest trends, or risk sinking into the black hole of internet hasbeens.Let’s take a look at some of the web design and development trends we can expect to see in 2022.
The web-based world is undergoing a creative explosion. Advances in web design technology, along with the consistent need for the next big attention-grabbing design, mean new trends are emerging at an unprecedented rate. It’s important that web developers stay up to date with the latest trends, or risk sinking into the black hole of internet hasbeens.Let’s take a look at some of the web design and development trends we can expect to see in 2022.
Scaled-back hero images
Being the first thing that visitors see, it’s long been critical to have hero images that grab and retain the attention of your audience. The tricky part is keeping your designs consistent with the subtle trends in hero image formatting.
2022 will see the rise of more typographically orientated hero images, with a restrained use of images and illustrations. Distractions will be kept to a minimum, while your carefully crafted copy will command the attention of your audience.
This does not, however, mean that design creativity is lost in favour of copy. Focusing on typography alone may seem to limit design options, but with careful colour and style selections it’s possible to create tasteful, creative and stunningly simple designs that allow the words to make an impact.
Minimalism with a twist
The concept of minimalism is nothing new to web design. Back-to-basics designs with lots of white space are both attractive and help to avoid overwhelming your visitors, so they can quickly process the information on your site and find what they need. In addition, classic minimalistic styles allow for a sleek, tidy and professional feel that many brands desire.
Much of this hasn’t changed, although the overuse of monochrome minimalism means this style has somewhat fallen out of favour. Fear not, for 2022 will bring subtle twists to keep the concept fresh. Injections of colour, creative typography and vivid imagery are great ways to keep the minimalist concept alive, but with enough of a kick to entice your audience.
Careful consideration should be given to the colour palette of your designs based on the atmosphere you’re trying to convey. For sophistication and professionalism, perhaps consider a restrained, calming colour palette such as those used on the current Shopify website. For something requiring a little more ‘oumph’, bold, bright colours can be used to maintain a clean canvas while showcasing a vibrant brand personality.
It’s important to remember that minimalism should apply to the copy as well as the design. Text must be kept to an absolute minimum, while ensuring that it conveys all the information it needs to. As with the visual elements of this design style, minimalist copy is much harder to create than you might expect, and it can actually take a long time to write just a few words.
After all, less is more.
Page interactivity
Everybody loves a game; it’s just human nature. One of the most powerful web design tools going into 2022 will be interactive page elements that directly respond to cursor movements or clicks, grabbing the user’s attention and encouraging engagement.
By adding interactivity or even gamification elements to the landing page of your website design, you’re setting yourself up for a significantly reduced bounce rate. The innate human desire to play and examine something that piques our interest overrides the habitual back-click formed by a lifetime of media saturation.
This is a fantastic way to build anticipation, as the user will become increasingly curious to see what will happen next. It also gives extra time for the remainder of your page to drive home your brand’s message and convince the visitor that they should check out the other exciting things you have to offer. A completely outrageous but utterly brilliant example of this comes in the form of a personal resume by Robby Leonardi. I have no innate interest in this guy or his skills, yet I now know all about him. Well done!
I can’t end this section without a mention of possibly the most popular interactive element of any webpage, and something I can almost guarantee you’ve interacted with over the years. The legend. The icon. I am of course referring to the Google Chrome dinosaur game. How much time has been spent on this dropped-connection screen over the years in favour of doing something far more productive?
In 2022, embrace your inner dinosaur game and start encouraging interactivity.
How will you handle web design and development in 2022?
This is but a snapshot of the upcoming trends that will define web design in 2022. With a mix of attention-grabbing interactivity and subtle less-is-more elegance, this year has lots to inspire (and confuse) web developers in all industries.
If you need help navigating the constantly shifting landscape of web design and development, contact DWH today and we’ll happily be your guides.
Claire Baldwin
Claire has over 10 years' copywriting experience across a range of print and digital media, working with a variety of styles, formats and tones of voice. She has written as part of an in-house team client side, as well as at marketing agencies based in the East Midlands. Claire's services include copywriting, copy editing, content creation and proofreading.