8 Website Trends for 2021

The design of the website is most likely the first thing your website visitors will notice and you want that first impression to be memorable for all the right reasons.

In web design it’s important to keep up-to-date with the latest trends in order to create a website that provides a great experience for your users.

This article will look at 8 of the biggest web design trends in 2021, which are as follows:

Minimalism
Using videos in design
Full-page headers
Animation
Custom illustrations
Focus on website load time
Bold fonts
Dark mode

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1. Minimalism

The saying goes goes “less is more” and in web design that is often the case. A cluttering of elements and text can discourage readers, causing them to click off your website.

A “minimalist” design will keep things simple and readable. The key here is to not be afraid of white space on a web page, as that white space allows readers to rest their eyes when scrolling through your website.

If there’s no white space between elements, then your readers eyes will see them as one element rather than two separate elements. White space can be used between elements to clearly define and separate them.

2. Using Videos in Design

Using videos on your website isn’t exactly a new trend, but incorporating them into your design is where the fun begins.

You can get creative with cropping and adding effects to your videos so they fit seamlessly into your web design. You could even use videos as the background for a full-page header.

While videos are great at conveying information or telling your users a story in a way written text can’t, they also make your website look and feel more interesting.

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3. Full-Page Headers

Full-page headers are becoming increasingly popular on home pages due to their sleek, but simple look.

However, besides their aesthetics, they are also effective in directing users to certain pages on your website. Having less text makes it easier for your audience to consume quickly and take the next step on their journey through your website. Call-to-actions can be used to immediately direct your users to another page.

Furthermore, they give you the opportunity to get creative with the page background – including videos, illustrations and animated backgrounds can make your website immediately stand out from the crowd!

4. Animation

Animation in web design may not be new to 2021, but the types of animation you can use are and websites are increasingly using these animations to offer a more engaging experience.

Various new animations can be added to text, images or backgrounds to draw your audience in. Not only does it improve the aesthetics, but “trigger” animations can be used to encourage an action to be taken.

Animating a button or drawing attention to it in unique ways will increase the chances of them clicking on it.

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5. Custom Illustrations

If you are still using stock imagery in 2021, you are missing out on a great opportunity to provide a more personal feel to your website. Custom illustrations – often in the form of cartoons, can be used throughout your website to distinguish your brand from competitors who may adopt a more “professional approach”.

The major benefit of using custom illustrations is you have the freedom to create exactly what you need or require.

Even fantastic photography can sometimes struggle to achieve the same impact as more traditional art forms and illustrations.

6. Focus on Website Load Time

In 2021, users just don’t have the patience to sit and wait 20 seconds for your website to load, when they know there are alternatives out there that will load for them immediately. This makes it especially important in making sure you take the necessary steps to make your website as fast as possible.

It’s integral that your users are able to smoothly navigate through your website without any extended waits. This is where a more minimal, simplistic style can help to reduce load time by decreasing the number of elements on the page.

Not only this, but website speed is an essential factor in SEO. Those who focus on this can expect to achieve higher search rankings, which explains why many websites are focusing on this at the moment.

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7. Bold Fonts

Bold fonts immediately stand out to visitors, so can be used to draw attention to the most important aspects of your page.

They are popular within minimalist designs that focus on highlighting keywords and lines, rather than long-winded paragraphs.

A bonus of bold fonts is their adaptivity. The bolder the font, the more creative you can get with the colour and appearance of its lettering. A simple example of this would be using gradient fills in text or layering images within the lettering of the text.

8. Dark Mode

Finally, dark mode is becoming more prevalent in web design. Not only does the dark colour scheme give it a modern feel, but it reduces eye strain, providing a more comfortable browsing experience for your readers.

It’s worth noting that most browsers are able to toggle between light and dark mode, so you should consider how your website looks with a darker colour scheme, especially due to the increased usage of dark mode.