Last year was a great time for web design. Advances made in web typography, layout models, and a focus on function over form created new challenges and intriguing solutions for designers. Now that 2015 is here, the big question is “what’s next?” So, it’s time to put on our prognostication hats and figure out what’s in store for web design this year.
Storytelling
Sure, there’s always going to be a place for the pure informational site or the old-school “brochure” site. But telling a compelling story has really become paramount in web design, and we’re finding new and exciting ways to do that every day. The importance of web copywriting and layout for large amounts of text will increase this year, and designers will be able to treat web layout even more like editorial layout than before.
Simplicity
Flat design continued to evolve in 2014, and Google’s introduction of Material Design brought the concept up to the forefront again later in the year. Combine that with the users of the world demanding faster, more intuitive layouts on their handheld devices, and it’s easy to see how simplicity will rule 2015. All elements of a site will need to have some sort of useful function to justify their inclusion on a page, which should be seen as a very fun problem for designers to sort out.
We’re personally hoping that this is the year that the carousel slider finally dies for good. In service of simplicity and elegance, this is a perfect example of how to streamline — if your design requires a passive motion to display multiple concepts of equal importance, maybe you didn’t think it through as well as you thought you did.
Monochrome
Web designers have never been afraid to use a lot of colors. Many even use it well! But 2015 is going to be a year of intentionally limited color palettes. One- or two-color designs, when done correctly, are just as compelling as bright multicolor layouts. You could definitely make the argument that a well-considered monochromatic site with just a pop of color here and there for impact is even more compelling by virtue of its severity.
Huge Typography
Even if you don’t have a Typekit account with Google Fonts sitting right there for everyone, there’s no excuse for your site to have boring typography. Now that it’s no longer considered a cardinal sin for sites to have big bold blocks of text, the envelope is being pushed by forward-thinkers who understand that a well-rendered bit of gigantic type in a great typeface is a fantastic design element. Look to see more of that this year.
Microcopy & Microinteractions
Here, we’re referring to the little things that make interacting with a site better, easier, or at least more fun. My very favorite example of a neat microinteraction is on the recently redesigned Virgin America site. When filling in your information in a form, the site provides little labels off to the right in the form fields that either confirm the validity of your input (filling in a valid email address produces a “GOOD” message when you remove focus from the element), to just a little goofy fun (typing your first name gives you a “HEY THERE!” message, followed by “NICE NAME” when you enter your last name). It’s a tiny little thing, but one that makes you feel favorable about the Virgin brand.
Scroll, Scroll, and Scroll Some More
This is the year. I feel it in my bones. This is when we finally banish the concept of “the fold” out of web design for good. Contrary to the popularly-held wisdom of years past, we know a few things about the modern user: they don’t mind reading a lot. They don’t mind scrolling. They like everything at their fingertips and dislike extraneous page loads. So the long-scroller is here to stay, and I’d wager they’re going to get even longer this year.
