10 Pivotal Web Designs Tips (You Ought) to Consider in 2014

Last year, in 2013, we’ve observed a huge drift in the digital sector, i.e. web design and development. The dramatic drift brought with it many new changes, modifications or, to be exact, new trends that created a huge stir in the web design community in a positive fashion. Some of those trends are still prevalent today, while some are now just a vague fragment of our memory. Well, what can you expect from an industry that keeps sprouting new buds due to the continuous evolution in technology?

Anyhow, we can’t let ourselves to sit still while the race is still on. We need to advance with the same pace as the current trends so that we can keep our business afloat. In the subsequent paragraphs, I’ll outline the best practices that designers around the globe are implementing today to make digital platforms a place that not only mesmerizes the visitors but also interacts with them and influences their engagement on a whole different level.

1. Flat Design Is The New Sensation

You can never comprehend the significance of flat designs if you keep regarding it as a fad. It isn’t just a rage these days, but as a matter of fact it is the need of every website in 2014.

Though it follows the early teachings of Minimalism, flat designs put a completely new meaning to minimalistic designs. It doesn’t only amplify the intensity of minimalistic elements in a web layout, but it also wipes the clutter from the face of a website thereby improving user experience to a great extent. By the power of CSS3 vested in it, flat designs allow designers to achieve more by using less.

Example: Simone Marcarino

2. Dawn of Storytelling Via HTML5

There’s no doubt that HTML has always been the main source (the nucleus) around which the whole framework of a website is structured. However, with its evolution into HTML5, things have become way more interesting and engaging than it was ever before.

With the introduction of HTML5 elements, storytelling on a website has taken the center stage. Websites now no longer require heavily pitched copies or texts to narrate the intended message when a simple set of eye-pleasing content can do the job in a much efficient fashion. Yet, the technology is still in its infancy which clearly suggests that we haven’t seen the whole of it yet. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Example: Teehan & Lax

3. Prevalence of Less-Talking (Text), More Action

Unless you are skimming a how-to on repairing your grandma chair or reading news on current affairs, you would never want to surf a site that is text-heavy. In 2014, web developers as well as app developers have ditched text-heavy UI with huge block contents or videos.

Consequently, it allowed them to focus more on presentation and thus user engagement. After all, we live in a fast paced era where people want to get right straight to the point.

Example: Enjoy Wish List

4. Interactive Exploring Means Amplified User Engagement

User engagement is what that reinforces visitors retention on site. Isn’t it? Well, guess what! The advent of interactive exploring has made that goal a lot easier to accomplish. Although you will mostly find only big brands using this tactile strategy, some individuals, nowadays, have also started implementing interactive exploring to increase retention on their site.

Example: Wolverine Unleashed

5. All Hail To The Grandeur of Video Backgrounds

People tend to read less and watch more. Keeping that side of us in mind, designers took a completely different turn from the traditional web layout and consequently opened a new door to possibilities with ambient video backgrounds. Videos not only please our eyes, but also stir our emotions more than any other tools that we know of. The main feat of this new trend is that it takes user engagement to a whole new level.

Example: Media Boom

6. Navigation Menus Takes a Completely New Turn

In the past years, when we hear the term ‘navigation menu’, we tend to imagine a thin stripe on the header of our website having a few navigation buttons or drop downs. Isn’t it? Well in 2014, we don’t picture such worn out image when we hear that term. Instead, we see a huge block of menu containing thumb-size or even larger images and bold links. The best example of huge navigation menu is Mashable.com that’s been using it for quite a time.

Example: Mashable

7. Bigger and Bolder Typography is The Norm

The concept of less is more in the faculty of web content has empowered typography to dominate and overshadow all the other elements on your screen, leaving for your eyes to feast on nothing but elegant and beautiful typography goodies. Use of huge typography focused web pages has become the norm mainly due to the inundation of endless mobile apps.

Example: Life in Greenville

8. High-Quality Images Dominate The Backgrounds

From magazine and automobile to portfolio and corporate websites, high-quality (High Resolution) images now dominate the entire website’s background with their crisp and professional look and feel. What’s more is that these images look more fantastic and elegant on your retina displays.

Example: Ape Man Boards

9. One-Page Parallax Portfolios Are In Hype

Online portfolios have now become more creative and appealing than ever before, and all that credit goes to one-page parallax web designs. One-pagers allow you to completely avoid the extra loading time of new pages by decorating your entire portfolio beautifully on a single page. Parallax, on the other hand, bring your single-page web design to life by incorporating in it powerful imagery and depth.

Example: Hot Dot

10. Fixed Menu Bars Make Navigation Super Easy

Gone are the days when users had to scroll way back up to the header menu to jump on the other pages of a website. Fixed navigation bars have made surfing not only simpler but easier and faster as well. Since the fixed navigation bar is always available, users can immediately access the menus even if they are at the end of the page.

Example: Level Foods

So, what do you think of these must-follow tips? Feel free to share your feedback below!

This article is written by Sylvia M Lewis. She is designer and a writer. She design’s custom logos at Logo Pearl. Writing articles is one of her hobbies she have written different article for different site.

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