Entering a new year is an exciting time for numerous reasons. You’ve got NYE celebratory bashes, hope that those NYE resolutions are going to stick and – our favourite – a new round of trends to keep your eye on. It’s no secret that we’re design nerds (and proud) here at Cloud Cartel, that’s why we’re eager to dig into the many web design trend predictions for 2022. Spoiler alert: web design in 2022 is going to put software developers to the test.
Ch-ch-changing
Web design is constantly evolving as it adapts to technologies, to the needs of the consumer and responds to the unpredictable global environment we live within. Lots of change happens in a year, in fact, change happens within a day! That’s why you have to keep up with the web design trends too.
The design of your business’s website plays a big part in the customer’s perception of your brand. As Hubspot claims, websites are the most important marketing channel (after social media) for your business. The usability and visual appeal of a website can be the sole reason why a customer makes an enquiry or purchase or… doesn’t. It’s a way to speak directly to the customer with text, pictures and video. It was revealed that 42% of people will leave a website due to poor functionality. Considering how impactful a website can be on customers (and in turn, businesses) it’s vital that you’re looking under a microscope for new and profitable trends.
2021 Wrap Up
Reflecting back on the web design trends that stood out in 2021, there’s no doubt that mobile friendly websites and captivating imagery were at the forefront for every webpage. Alongside these prerequisites, we saw an uptake in videography and cinemagraphs used as a way to tell the brand’s story as well as big and bold headers to reel the customer in.
Experimentation with front-end web design saw a mixed bag of design choices that really aimed to push the boundaries and stand out from the crowd. There were many businesses who opted for ultra minimalist designs and others that chose the complete opposite with surrealist graphics, gradient colours and wacky fonts. It’s fair to say 2021 was a year for web experimentation, grabbing attention through CX and officially tying together your brand identity with your website.
Now, what’s in store for 2022? Let’s take a look!
Trends For 2022
Drum roll please…
Here we have it, the trends for 2022.
Trend #1 Functionality & Responsiveness
With all of the experimentation that happened in the web design world throughout 2021, there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain – your website must work well. You can have fun experimenting all you like with pop ups, videos and graphics however, if your website isn’t user friendly, customers won’t use it.
Now, this might sound simple but it’s often overlooked as businesses want to jump into experimenting with different CX front end experiences. This can be a lot of fun for the developer, however, you need to ask yourself “what’s the customer’s experience?” At the end of the day, the customer wants a website that they can understand, navigate easily and find what they need quickly.
A key component to making your website function well is its responsiveness. This refers to how well your website adapts to different screen sizes, uses and movements. Have you ever used a website on a desktop only to jump on the mobile version and be met with a confusing interface? This is an example of an unresponsive website. For your website to be responsive it needs to be able to eb and flow with ease, allowing the user to explore the entirety of the website with no hiccups. Be warned, as soon as a glitch presents itself, there’s a great chance that you will lose your customer.
After a year of experimentation in 2021, 2022 is going to see more focus given to the practicality of the website. If you’re unsure where to begin with making your website functional and responsive, contact our team here at Cloud Cartel! We can help you build or revamp your website so it can keep up with next year’s demands.
Trend #2 Shapes & Spaces
Shifting away from the abstract designs seen throughout 2021, 2022 welcomes the use of geometrics, lines, margins and whitespace to create eye-catching minimalist web pages.
Take for example Brooklyn, NY based business OddCommon who have used the power of experimenting with margins and white space to create a captivating landing page. As you scroll through the webpage, there’s interactive text, directional lines and breaths of empty space allowing you to be guided through each step.
Making use of shapes and spaces in your web design is a compelling way to hold onto your audience without having to bombard them with different kinds of stimuli.
Trend #3 People Pleasing
Gone are the days where a brand didn’t have an identity, where it was seen as a faceless entity that gave you the product you needed. Now, regardless of whether you’re a small, medium or large business, your brand is expected to hold an identity, to have a personality and respond to the public as a person would.
Websites are taking advantage of this trend by incorporating text that speaks directly to the viewer, using videography to show behind the scenes footage, imagery of those who work for the organisation, reviews from customers who have used the product or service and more. All of these creative tools don’t necessarily center focus on the product/service being sold but instead highlight the people.
To stay ahead in 2022, you need to make your webpage personable. Include imagery and experiences which highlight the human-oriented aspects of your brand.
Level Up 2022
It can be nerve wracking trying to keep up with consumer demands, that’s why we’re here to help!
If you’re a business owner, the last thing you have time for is to sit down and make edits to your website. Not only could you risk making mistakes and building 404 pages, you could lose customers who don’t have the patience to wait for your website to load. Allow us to help you achieve your website goals.
