As a web designer, you want to be at the forefront of trends so you can offer your clients the latest in innovative web design. However, this doesn’t mean that every trend should be followed blindly- a strict evaluation of each trend should be made to see if they will really work for your client.
Here are some trends that are currently making waves, but that you should give serious thought to before applying them to your web design:
- Header carousels. These are automatic sliders that showcase multiple services and products as a header on your web page. While these look flashy, stylish and high-impact, there have been no real statistics to show that these increase your client’s conversions. As a web user, these fairly quickly moving headers can be distracting, and may actually cause your potential client to scroll down to hide the images, or leave the site altogether.
- Modal boxes/Light boxes. These are a more user-friendly, neater alternative to basic pop-up windows. Like pop-up windows, they are an aggressive sales technique that has to be used with caution. Too many light boxes and your potential customers will find a way to block them completely, making all your hard work ineffective.
- Trend combinations: textures, ribbons and fonts. Here it is a case for “all things in moderation”. Too many websites are trying too hard to combine style trends, overloading users with a confusing array of every trendy texture and font effect imaginable. While this shows that you are right on trend, it also affects the usability of the site. Potential customers that have to dig through style to try and find the content they want will quickly leave your site out of frustration. Rather go for simplicity – combine a classic, usable style with one relevant trend. This will show that you are trend conscious without resulting in trend overload.
Always remember that as a web designer, your end result must always be something that the client likes but the consumer public loves. With these tips, your website will be forward-thinking, user-friendly and spot on trend-wise! For more advice on web design, contact WSI today.