We are living in a time where people are being overwhelmed with the number of push notifications and open tabs. These distractions are always competing for our attention and therefore, shouldn’t come as a surprise that web design trends in 2020 is all about intuitiveness and clarity. In this time of overwhelming stimuli, web designs need to be able to communicate their messages more efficiently and clearly than ever to stand out. The following are all great web design trends, relevant to 2020 to help ensure a clean, intuitive, and uncluttered website while still being rich in design and visuals.
Oversized
A great strategy to help communicate your message clearly and effectively is through the use of oversized types and elements. Pretty much any aspect of the page is a free game for this trend. You see this with large bold typography, full with images or videos, and even oversized menu icons.
The use of an oversized element is very eye-catching and can be used to get your message across right away. For this strategy to work best, it is important to limit the number of elements on the page. This helps create contrast and keeps the focus on the oversized element. This trend is also very effective as it’s a trend that looks great and works on any screen size.
The most prominent use for this trend is to use a full-sized image or video in a site’s hero and then pair it with Large typography. This strategy helps to emphasize the important information right away and ensures that it resonates with the viewer.
Negative Space
Negative space is the term for the area around the actual content being showcased. When it is used properly it helps make everything on the page feel very balanced and well-spaced. For websites, the negative space is often white, which another word for it is “whitespace” however, it can really be used to identify any of the space around the elements on the page.
Because negative space is all about leaving areas untouched, one might be included to this that its kind of a waste of space, when in actuality it allows the viewer a break. When all the content is stack on top of itself and pushed up together, it becomes very crowded and can be confusing, exhausting, and a strain on your eyes. Negative space can help break up or highlight content based on its use, which helps streamline the page and make it a more enjoyable experience.
Negative space has been an important aspect of design for far longer than websites have existed and has therefore always been a part of good web design. However, in 2020 we are seeing it obtain a bigger role. Negative space between the elements of the page is becoming larger and more prominent.
Exposed Grids
We are starting to see that web design trends are becoming more transparent as grids, stroked shapes and thin lines are being used to divide the screen. These are all elements that have been traditionally just used “behind-the-scenes”, but are now simply being used outright to help organize the information.
The use of these elements is very helpful in making a site more clear and easy to digest. By showing how the information is broken up, there is no mystery as to how the content is to be observed.
Tailored Illustrations
Websites utilize many visual tools to communicate their information. Illustrations, photography, icons, and videos are all used to great lengths in websites but are no longer just being used as a way of filling space and introducing color and interest to a page. The imagery used on a site is now becoming a crucial part of telling the story and supporting a site’s brand identity.
One important aspect of custom imagery is that it is not simply dragged and dropped. All the graphics are used as an extension of the brand. You wouldn’t see the same images used on an Outdoor Adventure site as you would a hotel. In this way, it is important to determine the appropriate style for your visuals to incorporate in your site to support your brand.