When it comes to web design, it’s crucial to stay on top of the latest design trends & technology, or your modern site could end up looking outdated in a matter of time. An outdated website can create the wrong impression of your business and scare away potential clients.
We’ve compiled the biggest web design trends for 2019 to help you keep your website as modern & fresh as possible.
1. Micro-Interactions
A major trend for 2019 is the use of micro-animations or micro-interactions. Our designers have been using micro-animations for a while because they can create a better user experience. On a website, you want to avoid visual bullying such as unnecessary movement that distracts and annoys a website visitor.
Micro-animations are smaller effects that engage a visitor and tie into the messaging. When considering whether to add any movement to a web page, ask yourself if it conflicts with your message, or if it will just be a distraction. Here is an example of a web page with a micro-animation where we incorporated an animation as a visitor scrolls down the page.
2. Illustrations
This is one of the most noticeable design trends of 2019. Illustrations are now being used more instead of icons. The image to the left shows two examples of illustration that could be used in a web design. However, custom illustrations can be a much more labor-intensive and expensive option for a design. Because of this, we’re still predominantly seeing icons utilized in designs while illustrations are reserved for the most important aspects of a web page.
3. Simple, Clean Layouts
Responsive web design has been around for a while now and we’ve seen the widespread adoption of mobile responsive technology.
However, mobile-first design is still a major trend and this year we’re seeing designs move even more toward simple, clean layouts. Mobile first means that all aspects of the site including the number of pages, the content on the pages & the navigation are all considered from a mobile first perspective.
This is happening because people are so used to viewing sites on mobile and smaller devices that their same habits/expectations are now transferred to when they see the site on desktop.
4. Live Chat
Chat bots have been growing in popularity and can be a great addition to a website. If you are a service or product-based business, adding live chat to your website can boost conversions and engagements on the site because it allows visitors to connect with you easily.
There are lots of live chat plugin options for WordPress and the integration is typically straight forward where the chat window & settings can be configured to match your web design. Reach out to our team if you have questions about adding this feature.
5. Speed & Performance
In 2018, Google released its speed update where mobile page speed became an important ranking factor. This update only affected a small percentage of queries and sites that delivered the worst page load experience.
However, page speed & website performance will continue to be a big focus in 2019. There are a lot of factors that can affect website speed & performance. Utilizing a hosting server built to handle the WordPress database and performing monthly plugin updates & maintenance are two of the most important factors for optimization.
6. GDPR & Data Privacy
Data collection & privacy was a big topic in 2018 and will continue to be front-of-mind for website visitors and consumers. In May 2018, GDPR or Global Data Protection Regulation went into effect in the E.U. The regulation set new standards for data collection on websites & how businesses store and use customer data.
All businesses, even those based in the U.S., should implement GDPR best practices on their website, if they haven’t already. The good news is that WordPress has a lot of features for GDPR built into the core and there are plugins available to help you set up the other standards.
