Website Design Trends for 2021

Websites should be easy to use and aesthetically pleasing while also providing quality information and relevant content. Your customers want an exceptional experience which Is why an up to date, well designed website will welcome your customer, encourage them to engage with your content and brand, and ultimately lead to conversions. 

This Is why the design of your website should not be overlooked and plays a pivotal role In Its performance and success. 

Let’s take a look at the factors you should be considering and the website design trends you should be keeping an eye on in 2021, so you can make the best decisions for a successful website design. 

#1: Fonts

Fonts are a critical component of any web design. Fonts can contribute to brand identification, brand storytelling, and how your brand is perceived. An Important first step when selecting your font Is to establish what your brand personality Is so that an appropriate font can coincide with your brand direction.

Generally, there are four rules when It comes to choosing and Implementing fonts on your website. 

1. Never use more than three different fonts on your webpage. Visually, this becomes confusing, tacky and muddles the branding you are trying to achieve which can dissuade visitors, inevitably resulting in people bouncing off your page.  
2. Select your primary font style. This font Is what you’ll use in your titles and should somewhat resemble the style of your logo If possible. Make sure you choose a font that Is eye catching or different enough to gain attraction. 
3. Select your secondary font style. This font Is what you’ll use in the body of your website text. As this will be the predominant style throughout your page, make sure It is easy to read. 
4. Select your ‘accentuating’ font style. This Is the font style that will be used in your CTAs, click through buttons and text that you just want to make POP for when you’re trying to bring the attention of a visitor to a certain piece of your content. 

Depending upon your industry, a bold vintage font may be better than a more subtle font. A kid’s party service website may choose something more whimsical and fun, while a legal firm would rather elect for a very simple, professional-looking font. Fonts do matter, so make sure you pick a font suitable for your industry.

#2: 3D Design

Design trends have come a long way as has the capabilities of 3D design integrations on websites. The inclusion of 3D aspects into a websites design can be through a range of mediums, be it eye catching home page visuals, detailed 3D products shots or simple branding design elements that are spread throughout the website. There are three key benefits to Including 3D design elements on your website. 

1. Time spent on site. Websites that feature 3D realistic products and web page environments experience an average length of user session of 5 mins. Incredibly this number only goes up depending on the features and 3D applications that the website offers. 
2. Conversion rate. Conversions are a sought-after performance metric for any website owner. Astonishingly, a website that features 3D product configurations, allowing visitors to inspect a product as If it was In their own hands, has a 40% higher conversion rate than websites that don’t feature 3D products.
3. Sensory experience. A stark difference between online eCommerce to that of brick-and-mortar retailing has been the sensory and experiential aspect of shopping. With the Incorporation of 3D design elements however, eCommerce has closed this gap by providing shoppers with sensory engagement opportunities. This allows shoppers to not only be thoroughly engaged with the brand but also the product Itself. 

#3: Various Media

The strategic inclusion of social media, videos and photos allows one the opportunity to expand upon the branding and product/service messaging that you’re trying to create on a website. These visual medias are amazing, effective and easy ways that a brand can use to develop valuable connections and engagements with customers. Especially useful Is the fact that visuals work to capture the ever-shortening attention spans of ‘web browsers’ which helps keep potential customers on page. 

#4: Color And Texture Choices

Colour and texture play a significant, but often forgotten, role in the design of a website. Surveys show that up to 85% of shoppers believe colour is a primary factor in their buying decision with a further 93% of consumers relying on colour and appearance, above all other factors, when making a buying decision.

Choosing the right colour therefore is a pivotal decision in your web design journey. So how to pick the right colour? Here are a few tips.

• Keep It simple – around 95% of brands globally only use two colours in their logo and branding so don’t overcomplicate your colour palette. 
• Research the competition – seeing what colours your competitors are using can give you some Ideas as to what attracts customers. Just be careful not to copy them exactly!
• Identify your brand personality – as mentioned in the Font Section, establishing what your brand personality is can help you create the perfect colour guide. If you are in the sustainable space for instance, go for Earthy colours like forest greens and clay reds. 
• Colour psychology – there are some colours that evoke certain emotions and feelings towards a brand. Blue for Instance ss commonly used by tech and financial companies as blue has connotations of trust, loyalty and stability. Here’s a colour psychology guide using Disney characters.

Textures also provide a useful visual experience in the design of a website. As opposed to patterns, which are small repeating Images, textures have the capability of conjuring feelings and emotions. Take for Instance a business that sells stunning stone façades for bathrooms or kitchens. By replicating a stone texture into the design of their website background for example, they are creating real world associations to their brand and product offering. Texture can also play a role in navigating a website through subtle design elements as well as help make content heavy pages easier to digest through design separation. 

#5: Visual Storytelling

Visual storytelling allows customers to easy understand your brand and your brand story through the strategic use of visual elements. These visual elements can be anything from Infographics, Images, Illustrations and animations. The goal is to use visual storytelling to help a customer feel the emotion and voice of your brand and form personal experiences along the way. 

The story should answer questions, solve a problem, and lead a customer to understand why they need what you have to offer. Why should they invest in you? Show them with your visual narrative.

#6: Vector Art And Abstract Designs

Vector Art uses an SVG file format that allows sites to still load quickly without compromising the website’s design. Additionally, vector art can provide a creative aspect to your site while also being fun. 

The addition of abstract design elements to your website allows your brand to be instantly recognisable. The unique attributes of your design explicitly connect to your brand.

#7: Symmetry & Asymmetry 

For many artists, symmetry was thought of as the gold standard for any project of design. Symmetry plays a role in the design of a website as it can provide a smooth browsing experience for visitors and helps to project the brands personality – especially if seeking a classic, easy to read and structured page. However, asymmetry is fast becoming a popular trend too as brands feel this is more in line with their brand personalities – especially for more playful, fun and quirky pages that are really trying to engage with an audience. So, in your design stage, one of the first things to decide should be whether you want a symmetrical or asymmetrical layout. 

Let’s Get Your Website Ready for 2021 and Beyond

At Strong Digital, we handcraft user-driven website design, honing in on audience-relevant detail to increase lead generation and enhance your online presence.

Whether you’re just starting out on your digital journey, or you want to take your digital to the next level, we partner with your business to help you grow. We’re in this together, on the same team and shooting for the same goal. 

Got a burning question or need some guidance about your web design or digital project? Drop your details, and we’ll organise a discovery session.