Continuing the Web Design Trends for 2013 – See part 1
Along with full screen typography, many of the most innovative websites are using extra-large photos for the backgrounds. In addition to pleasing the photography buffs out there, this design strategy is extremely eye-catching to any readers. Oversized photos can give the website a boost in marketing and can be a part of customized-branding methods.
In the race toward the future, many websites are being created with minimalistic designs. Marketers understand this strategy because it is one of the easiest ways to capture new users and readers. Once the clutter is cleared away from the page, the user can focus on the video, product or creative resource being sold on the site. Simplifying the design makes it easier to use the site and more intuitive for new users.
Although Web designers like to focus on beautifying the site, the key to success is finding more users and customers. To do this, social media tools are a must-have accessory. Social media badges can be placed on a website so users can easily share the website with their friends and family. Most social communities offer easy to share badges and can be pinned to any article in the layout. It makes it easier for users to share their favorite site and increases the likelihood that a website will go viral. Top social badges can be found for Pinterest, Stumble Upon, Google +1, Dzone and LinkedIn.
Although this design method has been around for several years, it has not made it into the mainstream until recently. Part of the upsurge in the popularity is due to Pinterest. Pinterest’s layout uses infinite scrolling within their website. As users search for something and scroll downward, new search entries continue to be added to the bottom of the page. Overall, infinite scrolling enhances the user’s experience and is extremely simple. It may not work for every website, but it can greatly improve the right pages.
Originally, the trend toward vertical layouts was inconsistently and inelegantly carried out. Over the last year, more websites are creating brilliant solutions that offer tasteful vertical navigation. Border textures and hover effects can improve the implantation of vertical navigation.
With the increase in mobile devices and smartphones, more websites have to adjust. To be successful, each website has to be optimized for a range of websites. The change in layouts over the last year is just the beginning. New design concepts, animation and navigation techniques will take hold as Web designers adjust to the needs of the modern user.
Although the year is only partially complete, a number of new Web design trends are already becoming popular. Many of the top ideas of 2012 are catching on and new ones are increasing in popularity for 2013. Many design trends reflect a growing tendency toward intuitive user interfaces, others just seem to be following the crowds. As we cross the midway point of 2013, It seemed an appropriate moment to take a look back over the start of this year, at some of the most interesting up and coming web design trends.
In addition to intuitive designs, retina support is a growing trend among Web design. Originally, Apple was the first organization to engineer the idea of retina support. They used it in the iPhone 4 and then quickly applied the idea to a range of other devices. Retina screens are two times as dense as most LCD screens. This means that double the pixels are squeezed with the same amount of space. For Web designers, the new retina screens mean that each image must have two versions. One must have double the pixels for a retina screen while another image is used for older devices. To easily do this, designers can use retina.js. The JavaScript library helps to display retina screen images automatically.
Another of the hottest design trends is to have demo videos or sliding images on the homepage. Using these informational screens work well for landing pages and startups to draw readers in. If the sliding images are done well, they can be appealing and profitable for the company. Images can be rotated or slide across the screen. The larger graphics and icons instantly catch the reader’s eye and provide a clean landing page for the user.
In order to have intuitive design for a website, the pages must have the best navigation. Readers have to be able to access important links easily and without too many distractions. One of the most recent developments in this area is the mobile navigation toggle menu. It works on smartphones and in web browsers to create a responsive layout. The menu can be designed in multiple formats. Links can slide down or content can be moved from the left or right side. As more designers use toggled navigation over the coming months, the possible formats will expand drastically.
Depending on the user, this design concept works extremely well. Oversized font can offer rich text effects with CSS3 properties. For this method to work the best, it must be placed in the appropriate layout. If this is done, it can make the page easier to navigate. Full screen typography can also be used with oversized images.