First things first. This quote "Creativity is a combination of discipline and a childlike spirit" is from Robert Greene.
Having this said, we should start. I know, I know, year 2017 is almost finished, right? maybe we should ask our designer to start creating the next blog for "Trends in Web & Mobile Design for 2018". Don't worry, this will come soon.
Let’s review some of the most popular trends in web design for this year.
Micro & Delicate Interactions
Micro Interactions occur day-to-day in our daily lives. They allow users to interact with an interface, and each time, we see them more in apps and devices. We will see a lot of delicate interaction this year as one of the essential trends within UX / UI. It provides context and help users and recharges the usability of our sites and mobile apps. From loaders to animated logos and icons, with an effective micro interaction you get engagement and inform at the same time (which is a lot).
DESIGNERS ♥ DEVELOPERS
More collaboration with better communication. Now that the responsive has a gap in our hearts and mobile first begins to sound familiar, collaboration between designers and developers is imperative. We will leave behind the jpg and Photoshop layers, with their functional documents, to rise strongly to dynamic visualizations in prototypes of high resolutions. As usual, Adobe has taken the lead by introducing its beta version of Adobe Experience Design, where prototyping is proposed, through collaborative real-time design. On the other hand InVision is putting the batteries in the company of Marvel, UXPin and others, so it seems that the universe will provide CSS exports of high quality.
“HERO” Images
The images on the web pages are a very powerful resource to capture the attention of the user from the first moment. The so-called “Hero images” are those that occupy the entire screen. With a good server and a good optimization of your site and images in general you will not have to worry about low load times. This feature has been used for a few years now, but previously users tended not to continue scrolling on the pages. Now we are used to this type of presentation images, so most users intuit that below them continues the content of the web. Example: Jeff Weiner
Long sections with a lot of SCROLL
Users are already used to doing a lot of scrolling on mobile devices, and for that reason we see that it is no longer necessary to worry about creating web pages with short sections in which it is all about concentrating the content at the top at all costs.
Pages with a lot of scrolling and lots of content are perfect also for those who want to attract their users through storytelling.
Example: Apple
PINTEREST GRID
Pinterest popularized it and now there are many who have adopted this trend. It is ideal to mix in one place different pieces of information, which invite you to navigate without control through the different contents. The good thing about these designs is that each “card” contains and presents the information in small pieces perfectly scannable. They isolate the information in a very visual way giving an attractive graphic point of view, and favoring the usability.
Example: Designe Interaction
ANIMATIONS
Well-used animations greatly enrich the experience within any web, whatever its purpose. Using them will generate a richer and more memorable experience. Here are some of the most popular techniques:
Parallax, Loaders, Hover, Slideshow. All those concepts calm anxieties, entertain and if you hurry, they hypnotize.
New FLAT DESIGN
Google gave us the digi-evolution of what was already a reality. He called it Material Design. They say that for their creation they were inspired by ink and paper. Depth effects, shadows, animations and transitions were incorporated that substantially improved the interactions within their applications. Ex: cssconfar
The flat design will not disappear in the short term. Flat design is compatible with other web design trends such as minimalism, responsive web design and Material Design. Looking ahead, we are likely to see the following trends in the Flat design.
Long Shadows: They give much more depth to flat designs.
Vivid color combinations: The most popular interfaces and templates have led many to start using more vivid colors in their designs.
Simple typography: In Flat Design, simple typefaces help ensure that the text remains legible.
Ghost Buttons: These are buttons that are presented with a simple outline, and change when the user scrolls over them. These maintain the functionality without distracting the user.
TYPOGRAPHY
Another trend in web design that we will see more and more frequently is the expressive use of typography. It will be used as an element and not as a medium to communicate, it is, design will be illustrated with letters. Your typographical knowledge will be essential to achieve a good result.
Example: White Frontier Brewery.
These are just some of the trends that will dominate 2017. Beyond fads, in web design what is tendency or ceases to be, is determined by a need for constant improvement of user experience (UX). So that does not mean that you should apply them abusively, or use them all together. Ideally, you can identify which are the most appropriate for your project.