Although new trends emerge each year, the basics of web design often remain the same. User experience (UX) always tops other innovations. However, as technology advances, some things do adjust. People have faster internet connections and higher resolution screens than in the past, making it possible for designers to embrace unique elements.
According to Internet Live Stats, there are approximately 5.1 billion internet users around the globe. The total number of websites changes every millisecond, but hovers around 1.9 billion at last count.
Even though your target audience is much smaller than the entire pool of online users, you still have to please a lot of people and meet the needs of a wide array of people. We’ve narrowed down the trends to the ones we think will have the most impact in 2022. However, you should pick and choose, implementing only those you think your customers might respond to.
1. Bold Colors
Many brands went with neutrals and pastels in 2020 and 2021. As with most trends, expect this to shift into pops of bolder, brighter colors. Brands will embrace the opposite in an effort to stand out from the competition.
Todd Ter Je uses bold colors to draw the user in. There is a mix of vivid blue and bright yellow for the background and navigation bar. The text colors don’t just default to black or white but include red, blue, green and brown. The overall effect is bold and startling, but makes the site stand out from competitors.
2. Vivid Photographs
Utilizing beautiful images isn’t really a new trend, but one that will stay around for years to come. You’ve likely heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. You can impart a lot of information at a glance with the right visuals.
For businesses such as WAC Lighting, where seeing the product in action helps potential customers figure out what’s right for them, using photographs of their products drives sales. Notice how they include images from a variety of lighting types and locations. You’ll see a kitchen, a closet, a commercial space and an office hallway.
3. Minimalist Design
Even though colors will pop, expect plenty of white space around elements on a page. The focus of pages becomes more singular, pointing site visitors to a specific goal without any added distractions.
In the last year or two, many sites did away with a traditional navigational structure on landing pages. Instead, they chose to include only pertinent information for the action they wanted users to take and a final call to action (CTA) button. Expect to see less navigation in 2022 and more intuitive sales funnel movement.
4. Dynamic Content
People want more personalized experiences. Dynamic websites display content based on things such as the person’s geolocation or past browsing history. With the advances in machine learning, expect websites to become smarter with each year. The better you serve the needs of your customers, the more likely they are to become engaged and make a purchase.
When you land on the Sam’s Club website, they take a guess about where you’re located. It isn’t always 100% accurate, but they’re able to help with searches for what is in stock in the store nearest you. The online shopping experience is personalized.
Expect to see more dynamic content served for each person. Amazon started the trend by tapping into things people might be interested in based on past browsing, past buying and other behaviors.
5. Augmented Reality & Video Chats
The face of retail sales changed in 2020 and 2021 as more people stayed home thanks to the pandemic. Online shopping grew at a faster clip than expected and people are likely to continue with the conveniences of buying from home and having things shipped to their front doors.
More and more e-commerce sites are adopting augmented reality (AR) to show customers how an item might look in their home or on their person. Utilizing AR helps reduce returns and improve customer satisfaction. It’s a virtual try before you buy model.
Doctors offices turned to telemedicine. Video conferencing gained acceptance. Expect to see these trends continue into 2022.
Madison Reed utilizes technology to set up a video color consultation with clients. Users simply sign up for a time slot and can gain advice on which products work best with their hair type and color. The free service helps drive sales for the brand and keep customers comfortable with trying a new product.
6. Microanimations
Designers have played around with utilizing animation in design for a long time. However, there must be a beautiful balance between things that draw the user’s attention and background features of the site.
Microinteractions are gaining popularity and are set to make a big impact in 2022. Picture a site with an animated scene and a few items within the scene moving to indicate navigation or CTAs.
Microinteractions tend to load more quickly and create less of a bandwidth drain on hosting plans, too.
New Technology
Although we can make a few predictions based on current technology and what we see people leaning toward in 2021, it’s impossible to predict every new device and development in the future.
Expect the six trends above to take hold, but also keep your ear to the ground in your industry and in the technology field. When something becomes popular, ask how you might implement it into your designs and what the benefits are for your audience. With a little foresight, your designs will be some of the best around.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.
