Web design and user experience is a constantly changing sector. Staying on top of current trends is a must and also setting them. The items mentioned below are becoming more prominent in web design as the year goes on. The ability to create a website that shows users an experience when visiting a website is a must in 2023.
Chatbots
E-commerce stores operate 24 hours a day so when there is no one to answer an e-mail or call from a new or potential customer a chatbox is a great way to answer simple questions and reduce the number of e-mails to reply to. Large companies such as Lululemon rely heavily on their chatbox especially after-hours. Often with a pre-built response to common questions many inquiries can be resolved with this tool.
Parallax Scrolling
Firstly, what is parallax scrolling exactly? Well, it is a technique of presenting elements in the foreground or background that move faster than other elements on a website to create the perception of depth as a user scrolls down the page. This has been used on many websites over the past several years, however in 2023 it is becoming ever more dominant in design and will continue in the foreseeable future. It’s use can be quite subtle, such as only for background images in a section of a website or more of a feature when several elements are used within a web page.
Complex Gradients
Gradients have been around in web design since the early websites of the 1990’s. Although they are notorious for being a bit of an eyesore, the use of gradients in a subtle yet sophisticated manner are being used to add depth to flat images. For those who prefer the look of a minimalist website and for flat colors there is a tendency to use gradients which are very gradual and minimal in their transitions. The use of gradients is also used on the top of images in banner or rollover areas to infuse a company’s brand colours as well.
Rounded Corners on Buttons & Images
Firstly, I would like to mention that adding rounded buttons and images on a website will largely depend on the company or organization’s branding guidelines. If rounded elements fit within the brand’s aesthetics it’s a great way to tie this into a web page design. Rounded buttons and other elements on websites are being used evermore often as 2023 goes on. This simple technique adds a layer of sophistication and helps to increase the approachability of a website. User experience dictates that slightly more rounded buttons are actually more often pressed on by users when completing an website’s “objective” such as a checkout or callout to contact.
Oversized Typography
Pulling from classic and impactful print design ads, such as Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, oversize and high-impact typography is used in feature sections of websites in prominent areas such as the banner or other callout sections. Also known as a “hero” section this is often the first visual that users will see when they visit a web page. High impact text tends to leave users with a strong and lasting impression just like traditional print ads tend to do. Simple, yet effective, this trend is becoming ever more seen this year.
Background Color Animated Changes
Background colour changes which feature some type of transitional animation are a new and powerful way to transition from light to dark to a page rather than using standard boxlike divisions and backgrounds. This can be done with a fade or other animation which is subtle but provides a level of depth and complexity creating a stunning visual on a website. This can be done from an image to a colour as well. We are seeing more and more designers pushing their creativity on normally simple sections of a website to show the impact colour has on users.
In conclusion, many of these trends and techniques have been around for years, however they are being implemented in a more creative manner. We will likely see many other common web design trends take hold in the same way in the next coming months as web designers and web developers push the limits of what a website can do to leave a lasting impression on users.