AI in web design

Just in case you’re not sick hearing about it already, AI is of course poised to revolutionise website design in 2024 and beyond. That is, if used correctly. When used poorly, you might find yourself at the heart of a fiasco like Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow and the joyfully nonsensical AI-generated images on its website. Sadly now only accessible via the magic of the Wayback Machine, this ‘catgacating’ website is a prime example of what not to do with AI.

While the ethics of using AI are still very much up in the air, it poses several great benefits for website design. On the simpler end, it offers the ability to create unique, royalty-free images (although copyright makes this a bit of a grey area at best), while the more sci-fi end of the spectrum could see websites with dynamic, evolving content that are unique to each user. With positive steps towards AI regulation in the EU becoming law, it’s interesting to see how this technology will actually shape the web design landscape over the next few years.

Dark mode by default

Dark mode involves basing a design on a background with a dark colour, and is often used on websites and apps to provide a more comfortable browsing experience. While OG websites took inspiration from pen and paper, using a light background with dark text, the age of digital screens makes these designs less pleasant to view. This is particularly true when it comes to mobile browsing – and even more so for those many hours of late-night doom scrolling, where a light background can be harsh on the eyes.

Statistics show that users not only prefer dark mode, but they also expect websites and apps to apply it by default. This is the sort of task that cookies are ideal for; after a user selects the dark mode on your website, you can use cookies to remember this preference so it’s automatically applied the next time they visit.

Web accessibility

‘Trend’ probably isn’t the right word to use here, as accessibility is an ongoing need.  Accessible web designs have become more and more commonplace over the years, ensuring that people of all abilities can navigate them easily. However, while accessibility has often been seen as a nice-to-have, it’s now become one of the first considerations when designing a website.

In the UK, public sector websites are required by law to meet accessibility standards, as users often aren’t able to shop around when dealing with this type of organisation. The two main compliance requirements in the UK are to meet WCAG accessibility requirements, and to publish an accessibility statement. While it’s not a requirement for other websites, building accessibility into your website design will help to improve user experience and open your brand up to a wider audience. Considering the contrast between colours, offering multiple text sizes, and minimising distractions are just some of the accessibility best practices to bear in mind when designing.

Scroll effects

As website design has moved to a mobile-first approach, scrolling has become a key way that users interact with a site. Ensuring a smooth, reactive scrolling experience is important for a great user experience, but as technology has advanced, developers are turning the necessity of the scroll into a design feature.

Now, scroll effects and animations have been around for a long time, but they’ve often been a little bit clunky or cringe. The designs of 2024 take concepts like parallax scrolling and combine it with animation, live video content, and user interactions to create a more beautiful and more immersive experience. An interesting, if a little in-your-face, example of the possibilities is this fan-made Ghostbusters site. I’m particularly fond of the interactive Slimer.

Want us to help develop your ideas?

Whether you’re looking for an updated website design, accessibility-friendly web development or both, you’re in safe hands with DWH. Get in touch with us to discuss your project and we’ll happily take your website into the year 2024.