In today’s market, creating an unique website user experience is expected and crucial for growth. With website designs advancing, designers continue to push the envelope building a more exciting and engaging web experience.

 

As we move past the first quarter of 2018 one thing is clear, 2017 designs aren’t going away but only becoming more modern. Moving further into 2018, here are 5 trends we see making the biggest impact in web design:

 

Mobile First

 

According to CoSchedule, 91% of social media users are accessing social platforms on their mobile devices. As social media continue to expand, developing websites that are compatible with mobile devices is a must. According to Torque, more creatives are designing their websites with mobile experience in mind first and considering desktop experience as secondary.

 

In 2018, browsing and interaction with social media on mobile screens will continue to skyrocket. With this in mind, designers will be focusing on uncluttered layouts, bright colors and simple design. With Folio Websites, you can use dedicated settings to control the look and design of your website to match your brand’s voice on both mobile and desktop appearance.

 

Check to see if your website is mobile friendly.

 

The Spread of Gifs


To be great at marketing, you need to capture your audience’s attention and what better way to entertain someone than with GIFs! By using GIFs in your content marketing strategy, you’re engaging with your reader on a more personal level.

 

With GIFs, you’re able to capture the attention of your audience for longer, which leads to higher engagement on both social media and on your website. According to Social Examiner, 37% of marketers said that visual collateral was the single most important form of content for their business.

 

To start using GIFs, try one of these easy to use online services:

 


Bold Colors


Whether it’s in politics, music, or web design, this is not the year for subtlety or muted choices. According to Buffer, 90% of an assessment for trying out a product is made by color alone, which is why currently the palette is adventurous and bold as clashing colors attract more attention.

 

Creative director of Kagool, James Bearne, writes, "What will be interesting to see is how colour can be used alongside customization and personalization to create truly unique experiences for consumers that tick several boxes at once.”

 

Illustrations




As browsers get more and more sophisticated and screen resolution improves, it’s natural to see websites embracing these high-tech trends. This could explain why hand-drawn illustrations and handwriting fonts have made a fierce comeback.

 

With this trend in mind, many businesses have started re-branding to fit the current industry demand. Recently Dropbox had this to say about their new illustration style, “We create rough sketches using graphite, then pair them with colorful, abstract shapes to bring the creative process to life. Our style is inspired by the moment when you first have an idea, and serves as a reminder that the “canvas is only blank until you make the first mark.”

 

Another reason businesses are drawn to illustrations is their innate ability to match brand voice. While many might think of illustrations as only having a fun and energetic appearance, illustrations can be used in variety of ways. Look for this trend to continue to bloom in 2018.

 

E-Commerce Integration

 

As the e-commerce world changes, you’ll continue to find widespread ways to buy online. With memberships growing in popularity, look for more e-commerce integration into social media and email templates as the tools become more and more sophisticated.

 

Recently quoted by Creativebloq, owner of Dowson Design Co, Christopher Dowson, explains, "We are consumers by nature. We always need more things... and the internet is full of things. Sites like Deliveroo and Just Eat own no restaurants, but can bring almost any food right to our doors. Amazon owns no shops but we can have almost anything delivered next day. We're only just beginning to see the possibilities of e-commerce now we are moving away from the traditional storefront-on-the-web business model."

 

No matter where you are or what you do, the internet has become an integral part of how we live and work. The design trends that are likely to have the most impact this year, will be the ones that make the web that much quicker and more simple to use in our everyday lives. What changes do you need to make to your website? Are you finding yourself needing an overdue facelift?