Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

As 2016 comes to a near close, our creative team here at Dock9 reflected on what we consider the rising web design trends of 2017. Like any trend, these go in and out of fashion and may not necessarily suit all our users. However, we like to think of each trend as an “additional tool” to our designer tool box, where we pick the right ones for the job at hand.

This week we’ve compiled a list of 9 key trends we believe have been prominent in Web design this year, and we predict, likely to continue into 2017.

For the early part of this century we saw a lot of colorful artwork in the shape of icons and vibrant mascots. Heavily shaded, three-dimensional characters, and richly rendered forms were all the rage.

 

Now, illustration is heading for a more authentic and organic experience. Low-color, hand-drawn looks that are specifically created for a single-site use are becoming more common and are expected to stick around.

 

Custom designs will more often take on a unique, loose and even childish feel. Websites will feel more personable compared to the copy and paste looks we have been seeing thanks to the prevailing flat design/minimalism bandwagon....

Design trends change every year, and it seems like most of them get hyped up to the point that all the chatter actually hinders the acceptance on some of the trends.

There comes a point where, as a web designer, you start to settle into your own personal preferences, and the idea of expanding outside your comfort zone seems costly and maybe even detrimental to your job security.

The Awwwards Website Trends and Design recognition program is proof that the outliers are the ones that typically get recognition. Awards and big paychecks go to those who stretch the boundaries and try out new, brave and often even re-emerging designs concepts.

You hear about new design trends just about every single year, but this time we wanted to cover some of the re-emerging trends, which have some use, but maybe not the adaptation that they deserve. Let’s have a look....

When I worked as a web designer, I was fascinated by how design trends changed each year. Since hanging up my design boots and focusing on being CEO of Envato, my focus has shifted from visual trends, to industry and technology ones. As I did in 2014 and 2015, here’s my take on where the world is moving!...

While clients often ask you to cram in as much information into a page as possible, seasoned web designers know this can lead to a usability nightmare. Confident and careful use of whitespace, in contrast, is all about giving content room to breathe.

The examples listed here work because everything the visitor needs is still there on the page; all that’s absent would just be clutter. In place of that clutter, whitespace helps create a balanced, easy to navigate interface where you can find what you need without being overwhelmed....

These technologies have combined to create a huge shift in the web design paradigm, creating, most notably, a responsive (or increasingly mobile-first) design philosophy.

On the aesthetic side, 3 years ago flat design reigned supreme. And then Google introduced Material design, which brought us slightly out of abstraction. 2017 marks the year design takes one more step back into reality. Whether it’s through form, color choice or functionality, 2017 is a year of hybrids, where reality and technology collide to create a seamless browsing experience.

Here are the 9 web design trends we think are going to bridge that gap...

It’s design vocabulary time! We know you’ve heard these two terms floating around: skeuomorphism and flat design. What do they mean?

 

They’re two contemporary designs trends that each have their own unique style and set of traits. Skeuomorphism creates a sense of familiarity by emulating materials, while flat design stays true to its medium, often feeling minimal and utilitarian.

 

These opposing styles create a major fork in the road for designers (especially those in UI design), and many projects begin with the question of which world to jump into. Luckily, we’re here to help answer that question with an in-depth look at each design style. We’ll also explore Google’s all-new design language, Material Design, which combines the aesthetic of both skeuomorphism and flat design....

If you look at how product pages take shape across different companies, it's clear that they run the gamut. Some go for the direct approach, displaying an image of a product and explaining why someone should buy it. Other companies create elaborate pages with moving parts and fancy coded elements.

 

Of course, some companies fare better than others at creating delightful product pages.

 

But since we prefer to focus on the positive, we scouted out 14 examples that we find truly admirable. From messaging, to value propositions, to general product promotions, these brands nail these features in a persona-friendly way....