The Future of Web Design: Trends to Watch this 2023
I’ve been a designer for a loooong time, so I know how important (and sometimes downright annoying) it is to stay on top of the always-changing latest trends and innovations in the web design industry. It’s constantly evolving and so are the expectations and preferences of users and clients.
Honestly, I’m excited. It seems that we are moving away from the flat-only style that we have had since 2015. These trends are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, accessible, and interactive. They will help you create amazing websites that stand out.
So, without further ado, here are the five web design trends to watch this 2023.
Increased Web Accessibility
Web accessibility is not a new concept, but it is becoming more and more crucial as the web becomes more diverse and inclusive. Web accessibility means designing websites that are easy to use and understand for everyone, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or preferences.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, commercial websites fall under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an antidiscrimination law passed in 1990. This means that websites must eliminate barriers to accessibility and provide equal access to information and services for people with disabilities.
Some of the ways to achieve web accessibility include:
- Using clear and simple language
- Providing captions and transcripts for audio and video content
- Using alt text for images and icons
- Using contrast and color schemes that are easy to read
- Providing keyboard navigation and focus indicators
- Using responsive design and flexible layouts
- Testing your website with accessibility tools and users
By making your website accessible, you are not only complying with the law, but also improving your user experience, SEO, reputation, and social responsibility.
A service that I wholeheartedly recommend is Usablenet for ADA Web compliance. (Disclaimer: I have worked with them on the past, helping with their website and marketing material)
2. The Y2K Aesthetic
Do you remember those (awful) Y2K low rise pants? They are coming back. On a more positive note, that aesthetic is also coming back for websites. And no, we are not planning to come back to the Napster look, don’t worry.
For those too young to know, the Y2K aesthetic refers to the style and culture of the late 1990s and early 2000s, characterized by bright colors, futuristic fonts, pixelated graphics, retro icons, CD textures, glitch effects, custom cursors, and pop culture references.
The Y2K aesthetic is a way to bring back some of the fun and excitement of the turn of the century, when the internet was still new and full of possibilities. It also appeals to the generations who grew up with this style or are discovering it for the first time.
Some of the ways to incorporate the Y2K aesthetic into your web design include:
- Using neon colors and gradients
- Using retro fonts like Comic Sans, Papyrus, or Impact
- Using pixel art or low-resolution images
- Adding glitch effects or animations
- Adding CD textures or holographic elements
- Adding custom cursors or icons
- Adding pop culture references or memes
By using the Y2K aesthetic, you can create a website that is fun, playful, nostalgic, and unique. Personally, I like everything except using Comic Sans. The last time I used it unironically was in 2005.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Every day I see designers panicking about losing their jobs to an AI. Let me tell you, it’s not going to happen anytime soon. The revolution that is happening right now is about tools, like the one that happened a few decades ago. Designers will need to learn and adapt.
For now, let’s focus on how AI can help.
One of the ways that recently emerged from the release of ChatGPT is that AI can help web designers by generating content. AI can use natural language processing (NLP) to understand the topic, tone, and style of the website and create relevant text. However, I only recommend it to be used as inspiration or to avoid Lorem Ipsum text, as Google might not rank it well for SEO.
The other AI tool that can help is Midjourney. It’s a bit complicated to understand if you’re not tech-savvy, as it requires Discord and prompt knowledge, but if you use it right, it can be used to get Logo, Illustration and Web UI inspiration in a few minutes, instead of spending hours browsing on Google for the specific thing that you need.
Both tools are not perfect, and (thankfully) still require human input to perfect the result.
4. Dark Mode
Dark mode has been growing in popularity over the last few years, and I expect it to become even more widespread this year. Not only does dark mode look sleek and modern, but it’s also easier on the eyes, especially in low-light situations.
This is especially important for mobile users who may be browsing the web in the evening or in bed. Personally, I’ll keep using the Dark Reader Chrome Extension until this practice becomes widespread.
To implement dark mode on your own website, you’ll need to use CSS to change the background color, text color, and other elements of your site’s design. This is a relatively simple process, but it can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your site.
5. Parallax Zoom Scrolling
Parallax scrolling is a web design technique that creates an illusion of depth and movement by making different elements of the website move at different speeds or directions when the user scrolls.
Parallax zoom scrolling is a variation of parallax scrolling that adds a zoom effect to the elements of the website. Parallax zoom scrolling can create a more immersive and dynamic experience for the user, as well as add a sense of perspective and scale to the website.
Some of the ways to use parallax zoom scrolling for your website include:
- Using background images or videos that zoom in or out when the user scrolls
- Using foreground elements that zoom in or out when the user scrolls
- Using text or headlines that zoom in or out when the user scrolls
- Using transitions or animations that zoom in or out when the user scrolls
Apple has been using it for a while already multiple products, it’s a very cool trick and it can make your website look more premium and modern without much effort.
Conclusion
These are some of the web design trends that I think will dominate in 2023. Of course, these are not the only trends out there, and you should always use your own creativity and judgment to decide what works best for your website and your clients.
But I hope this post has given you some inspiration and ideas for your next web design project. If you need any help with web design or development, feel free to contact me anytime. I would love to collaborate with you and create amazing websites together.
Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Do you want to have a chat? Feel free to contact me, I’d love to hear from you and see how I can help!
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