The Most Important Website Design & Development Trends of 2021

This year, like many before, will introduce an array of innovative digital website design and developmental tools that will transform our digital experiences. Now, more than ever, people seek technology-based solutions and connections to the world around them. 

While there are undoubtedly some aspiring high-tech fantasies and ideas in circulation, web designers are turning more and more away from Hollywood predictions of future tech towards important elements of UX & realism. Digital and ordinary life have never been so intermingled, so understanding how to effectively connect the two worlds, especially in the eCommerce space is of the utmost importance. 

The following list, compiled by our team of designers and researchers, outlines some of the most important web design trends we expect to observe in 2021.

Parallax Animation: 

Creating a parallax animation or effect involves clearly separating visual elements into foreground and background in the same space or as part of the same image on a webpage. Parallax is the optical illusion that takes place when objects near to the viewer appear to move faster than objects farther away. 

Whether designed as a still or moving effect, it brings the webpage to life with captivating depth. This implicit visual statement conveys a real sense of immersion, transforming the computer screen into a movie. When done right, the magic of Parallax can excite and persuade users to think twice about closing the window or tab without investigating further.  

Comfortable & Muted Colors: 

Given the digital nature of our world, a large number of people spend the majority of their time online. It’s natural to develop some resistance to bright and flashy colors after staring at a screen for hours. A combination of muted colors that align with branding cues ensures the least amount of eye strain. More than that, a base of muted colors allows you to direct where people look. Using more color and detail around the focal points on the page allows you to capture a user's attention. 

This emphasis on depth is fundamental to UX and a plethora of mainstream advertising campaigns. Color can indicate as much to a user as content, flow, usability, and function. A simple color choice between a vibrant pink or a muted pink can sway a user's attitude about a site. A simple color choice can indicate something archaic or out-of-date rather than helpful and relevant. 

Intriguing Questionnaires: 

While there are an array of useful onboarding techniques, questionnaires, and quizzes that spark an interactive experience prove to keep people intrigued and on-page longer than normal. A user is significantly more likely to purchase with the help of a personalized quiz and product recommendation, all generated based on their answers to simple multiple-choice questions. Gathering as much personal information on customer preferences helps subtly cater products to them. 

From a design perspective, landing pages and questionnaires should require a simple and visually engaging prompt. Forcing a user into answering long-form questions or typing out sentences is much less likely to yield the results you desire.  

Accelerated Mobile Pages:  

AMP or Accelerated Mobile Pages is a developmental trend on the rise. Given the massive popularity of mobile browsing over desktop, developers are working to speed up page performance. AMPs are optimized web pages designed to be fast, simple, and convenient with only basic features compared to full-scope web products. AMP’s are mobile-friendly and their content is always readable.

The step towards developing more AMP’s comes with the rise of user-oriented web design and integration of technologies like 5G. With native apps and web pages accessible from virtually anywhere, AMP’s will be imperative in successfully competing with major market leaders. 

Horizontal Scrolling:

More and more companies continue to integrate Horizontal Scrolling into their web development strategy. Designers have discovered new means to display interactive visual and written content through creatively pairing horizontal and vertical scrolling. 

All things considered, there is a careful balance between vertical and horizontal flow to maintain. Avoid forcing users to navigate through horizontal content. Add hover features, buttons, or clearly labeled arrows that indicate where and how to use the horizontal scroll. Be thoughtful about what content is best suited for horizontal display like a photo gallery or product previews. From a design perspective, you can never go wrong. 

Artificial Intelligence: 

The world of self-learning artificial intelligence and bots will continue to evolve alongside user needs and behavior. By 2021, most websites and companies will have some form of artificial intelligence that will help to eventually replace support managers and surplus costs. 

Wrapping up: 

We live in a time when technology and website design has redefined the world. Given the increased digital pivot to online communication and shopping during the 2020 pandemic, learning how to advantageously harness the latest trends in website design and development is imperative. 

At Drive Digital, our focus on comprehensive solutions that connect your business with target customers & clients across all digital platforms extend to the most cutting-edge website design. Whether you have a website or not, our specialized team of developers look forward to implementing the latest trends in website technology into your project. Contact us, to get in touch and learn more.