If you were standing in front of two big screens and you are given 15 minutes to consume the content on either one of the screens the possibility of you going with the screen with the more beautifully designed content is way higher than going to the screen with the more simple and plain content. Your website design is a very important part of your company’s online marketing presence.

Always remember that a user interface is like a joke, if you have to explain it, it’s not that good. As you look into redesigning your website, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

First Impressions are important…never forget your banjo

Of course, in this instance, your banjo refers to the impact your website makes on your audience. The first impression you make on them can cause them to either leave your page and turn to a competitor or stay and learn more about your business, so make sure you hit the right notes on that banjo.

Build That Trust

We are all familiar with the saying that trust is gained, well when designing a new website, you have the opportunity to engage your users and build their trust. People don’t trust poorly designed websites. If someone sees a poor design or outdated content, they might gain the idea that your site is shady because you don’t have an updated web design. On the other hand, a professional site signals trust with your audience.

Brace Yourselves the Competitiveness is coming

You might be wondering why website design is important, so here's a big reason: Your competitors are already using it. Your site needs to be designed well to remain competitive. Spare yourself the frustration of wanting to hit that specific competitor’s CEO over the head with your banjo by ensuring that you offer the top trending design qualities on your website.

Now that we know the main reasons why good web design is important, we can take a look at how to beat those competitors… no not that kind of beat!

The key to the perfect web designs is that they're playful yet practical, eye-catching, yet easy on the eyes - and most importantly, they're easy to use. Below are some top trending tips to make a quality design in 2021.

1) Old-Fashioned Typeface

Samuel L. Jackson has been a Hollywood staple for years now, but he'd had only bit parts before landing an award-winning role only at the age of 43 in Spike Lee's film "Jungle Fever" in 1991. This is only one example that shows us that age does not determine whether something is cool or not.

Over the years it has been seen that many old things have become cool again, before becoming even more uncool i.e., handlebar mustaches and mom jeans. The shelf life of irony is short.

The popularity of vintage fonts has experienced a similar ebb and flow, and many designs featuring vintage typography haven't aged well.

However, there has been an upsurge in throwback typography in recent years. The tired fonts have disappeared and the possibilities for retro fonts are reimagined through stylization and creativity.

Austin East Ciders’ website shows the merging of old and new. These bold, traditional fonts become new again with a little bit of experimentation, instead of feeling stale and cliche. It's a good example of modernizing traditional fonts without losing legibility while retaining the beauty of the old-fashioned fonts.

2) Abstract Art Compositions

It's easy for abstract shapes to appear simple, minimalist, and restricted, especially those based on geometric primitives like squares and circles. Nevertheless, web design in 2021 tends to incorporate them into complex and sprawling compositions that scream out freedom.

This kind of abstract art arrangement usually replaces stock images and illustrations. Even without people's images, they can still evoke emotion. In the absence of familiar human faces, the web pages still seem expressive and alive.

3) Immersive multimedia experiences

Now that the majority of people have faster access to the internet, more multimedia web experiences are appearing everywhere. The combination of visuals, text, video and audio provides a rich user experience.

In 2021, effective designs will combine multimedia experiences with constraints:

- Images should have alt text, and complex images should be accompanied by longer descriptions.

- Whenever possible, prioritize simplicity, like when combining video and audio. Cognitively impaired individuals can be overwhelmed or distracted by too much activity.

- Rather than rendering text inside images, make sure all text is HTML coded.

- All pre-recorded multimedia pieces must have closed captioning and transcripts.

4) The beauty of muted colors

Subdued colors can give your website more of a natural feel.

With a light color palette and dark blocks, ALPNGLO creates a noticeable contrast between sections of their website. This muted palette sets off the italic style text perfectly. Subtle distortions to the light and dark backgrounds give the design a sense of life.

5) Scrollytelling

Storytelling through web experiences is a growing trend among designers. We call this scrollytelling - visual storytelling that amplifies stories and intrigues the reader.

Scrollytelling practice restraints are most effective when you:

- Don't move too far from your initial point.

- Give the user the option of playing, pausing, and stopping interactions and motions on their own terms.

- If scrollytelling is used, ensure that it enhances the story instead of distracting from important text.

6) Come to the dark side

Finding out that Darth Vader is your father might not be enough to persuade you to join the dark side but finding out that you might be able to increase your website traffic and revenue might.

The dark mode aesthetic is widely adopted by designers, with black providing elements with the perfect backdrop to make them stand out and with dark mode, night shift, and other low light options, users can enjoy a lower-contrast site or application in low light conditions.

In the example below, DevArt designed a beautiful tribute to developers who create art with code, pairing a subtly textured black background with a beautiful sans serif typeface.

Above are just a few trends going around in the designer community, there are a bunch of other trends to check out when you have the time to spare.

It’s always exciting to see how web design continues to change, we're excited to see what we and our customers will be creating together in 2021 and beyond. Join us at Go4IT Africa and help us to design the best user interface to showcase your amazing services and brand.

References:

• Experiments with Google
• Black Websites / Dark Website Design
• 7 Qualities of a Great Website
• Upcoming Web Design Trends & Website Inspirations
• 9 PRINCIPLES of GOOD Web Design
• 45 Examples Of Stunning Artist Websites
• 30 Web Designs Featuring Vintage Style Typography
• The best (and worst) Web Design trends of 2021 so far
• Why Is Web Design Important?

Additionally, Go4IT Africa can assist in designing your website with the latest trends and technologies to boost traffic and your brand!

Would you like to learn more or get in touch?

• Booking a Meeting
• Send us an Email
• Or give us a call on +27 10 001 8862