What will be the Next Trend in Web Design?
In design, as in society, trends tend to swing back and forth between extremes. We had Web 2.0, now we have grunge, two complete opposites in style.
A while ago, Smashing Magazine posted about the secrets of grunge design. One of the ones I liked the most was Bart-Jan Verhoef’s. When I went to his site, though, this post greeted me. Well! I guess we know how he feels!
There was something that caught my attention in what he said, though.
“Just when I thought I had moved as far away as possible from what’s considered trendy, it now seems that my site yet again is part of a trend.”
Interesting. It made me think about what’s to come from the world of Web design. Recently we had the super shiney, brightly colored style of Web 2.0. But people got tired of all the hyper-digital, ultra clean, super bright.
Starting with folks like Bart-Jan and Elliot Jay Stocks, we went to the other end of the spectrum—subdued colors, grungy graphics (but still clean and well-organized in terms of layout). And it’s really all about the graphics.
So what’s next for Web design?
I don’t think the shiney, gradient-saturated Web 2.0 style will completely go away. It really is a good style fit for companies like Apple. And the traditional media style that Grunge brought to the Web won’t go away either. It creates a very personal touch in this digital world, which is something artists will probably cling to.
So what is the next big thing? I’m thinking it’s typography-based sites.
We already see it with designs like iLT, Subtraction, Astheria and Jon Tan. Smashing Magazine even featured a post on BIG Typography. Typography seems to be something that designers are becoming more and more interested in. And designers like breaking the obvious rules—which way type should run, that type is strictly for conveying information (and should be readable), that type and images are separate elements of layout.
What about colors? Well, we have the subdued, earthy, grungy colors right now; I’m guessing it’ll swing back towards bright, loud colors.
Funny thing, just as the grunge style is getting started, I think it’s also ending. Things move quite fast in this hyper-connected, here-today-gone-tomorrow world we live in.
I believe the next big thing in web trends will be to bring it back where blogging/web is all about: the new creative quality content. Not just copying ideas from big blogs but the smaller writer/bloggers will come with the new great ideas and reach out for a bigger audience. With more emphasis on typography and design detail.
Find your niche, then rock & roll!
Here’s me thinking “gee there’s a lot of great typography-styled websites I’m seeing lately, it looks like that’s where the trend is shifting” and almost straight away your post pops up! I would add Andy Rutledge’s site to the list as well, and the personal web site and blog run by Cameron Moll. BTW have you seen that Cameron has posted a list of resources for typography ornaments? I’ll get back to you with the URL if you like.
If typography is where it’s going I think there might be more monochrome sites - you know, black, maybe slightly grey text with one colour for links and highlights. I love that kid of thing. Mark Boulton’s site is a good example. I love hovering onver a link in that site and being surprised by a bright green.
I hope more people are appreciating the use of a good grid. I’m a bit tired of people taking a perfectly lovely theme and mucking it up by putting different sized images and widgets all over the sidebars.
Here is the link to Cameron Moll’s article on resources for typography ornaments.
I personally would like to see a come-back to Art-Nouveau, jugend style or skønvirke (as the danish style was called).
On the other hand I think that bauhaus movement could be a challenge too, which without doubt is my favorite.
But first I’ll think we will see more watercolour based designs
On thing all of the trends did have in common is a humanistic and friendly approach. There are still many movements left out there, that want been curled up in postmodernism.
I totally agree about the typography thing.
Although, I’d shift the colors from ‘loud’ to ‘bold’. Like ILT, with their red—I wouldn’t call it loud, but I would call it a nice bold contrast.
I wish there was a trend which allowed all styles to be “trendy.” As much as I think the Web needed the Web 2.0 thing to set some standards and help make the web look a better place I think it’s time companies started looking for more individuality.
Here’s a quote from popular Graffiti artist Banksy:
I think the same thing could be said about the web. I’d love to see more variation in the web, and companies allowing web Designers to design with a bit more freedom.
Sander,
Smaller blogs already have great ideas! It’s searching through all the mediocre ones to find that awesome content that’s the hard part! Emphasis on design details and typography—I definitely agree with you there.
Tracey,
Yeah, I’m sure I’m not the first one to notice, but the thought I had about Bart-Jan’s comment on getting as far away as possible from the trend just wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote about it! Thanks for coming back with the link to Cameron’s article. LOL “frilly bits.” He has some really nice samples there.
Kris,
Good call on the monochrome with spots of bright colors (like those sites I mentioned! Why didn’t I think of that color connection?!). Yes, I’m tired of sidebar clutter, too.
Esben,
Oooo, Art Nouveau! I like a lot of the work of the Bauhaus movement, too, though I don’t know how these would look on the web. I kinda don’t think they would fit (maybe that’s the point?).
JakeT,
Bold, good distinction. To me, colors are a little harder to predict and I see it going both the way Kristarella mentioned (monochromatic) and towards the bold, like you’ve said.
Liam,
I enjoy them, but I rarely adopt them, unless it fits the nature of the design. That quote is probably more an ideal than reality, unfortunately. It’s not the designers that need more freedom, it’s the clients’ minds!
Well, nothing says you actually have to follow the trends
Liam,
I just got your email and fixed your comment. I don’t know that I agree with Banksy about having graffiti everywhere (it tends to be related to gangs here in the US, and how would you like it if people started defacing your property?). I think I get the spirit of what you are trying to say, though, and yes, more freedom to be creative on the Web would be nice! Thankfully we have CSS, because a design like this could not have been pulled of with tables!
I hope it didn’t sound like I was saying “I thought of it first” - sorry if it did sound that way, it was intended as “wow, what a coincidence!”
I’ve enjoyed taking a look round the typography ornament sites that Cameron has listed, and there’s at least one ornament which has now worked its way into my site redesign (work in progress).
Tracey,
Ooo, more redesign goodness! Be sure to let us know when it’s ready!
Oh no, I didn’t think you meant that. I thought you meant what you meant… er. LOL
LOL! Any day now …
This is a question I ask myself very often, and it’s something I think a lot about, as I don’t want my new design to look “trendy” either, so I’m trying to come up with something different. Typography is definitely big, which is a good thing. Thanks to sites like iLT and the other ones you and Tracy mentioned above, the first thing I pay attention to when I visit a site is its use of typography.
I’ll be glad though when the shiny “web 2.0” look will fade away. :-)
Interesting. If this really is the next trend in Web design, then I hope that browsers get more support for dynamic fonts - as otherwise, trying to get really interesting font families on Web pages is problematic at best.
Vivien,
As much as I enjoy the recent trends in Web design, they are trends and will eventually go out of style and look dated. Typography will always be important, but I think I see it as being practically the only part of sites in the days to come (as in, not such a heavy emphasis on graphics).
Jennifer,
I see the use of sIFR on the rise for sure. And there’s FontBurner, too (though as Vivien has previously mentioned, if their site goes down so do your fonts!). But other than new support for actual fonts, I see many people using available fonts in interesting ways. Check out the most recent entries in the Web Typography series on I Love Typography. Great examples there.
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