10 Web Design Trends for 2014

Step right up, ladies and gents, and feast your eyes on the top 10 web design trends for 2014! Some are old favorites, returning from years past, while others are responding to current needs and desires. Of course we can’t predict where the year will lead and what new fads will develop, but at the moment these web design trends for 2014 are hogging center stage. Functional and easy on the eye, they’re sure to charm your socks off.

1. RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN. As you might have expected, mobile responsiveness is a very high priority. This isn’t a very new or exciting trend (we’ve been building responsive websites since late 2012), but it is extremely important in our mobile world. Mobile responsiveness is no longer an added bonus; it’s a must. Don’t believe me? As of February 2014, 60% of Internet access is mostly mobile! That is an amazing statistic.
2. BEAUTIFUL FONTS. Fonts with personality and flair are taking center stage. Expect to see designers experimenting with new fonts, creating custom fonts to fit the client’s needs, and straying away from standard serifs and sans-serifs like Times New Roman and Helvetica. Expect the unexpected when it comes to typography. While there have been issues with some of these fonts rendering on some browser/operating system combinations, I do expect this to improve in 2014 and beyond.
3. VIDEOS. Videos are gaining momentum this year. Expect to see them headlining home pages, taking the place of large blocks of text. Since they don’t fit well with every company, they require a lot of data, and they ask a lot of viewers (you have to turn on your speakers and listen, and you can’t skim), videos won’t be as common as some of our other web design trends for 2014, but don’t be surprised if you see more presentation-style videos popping up across the web.
4. FLAT DESIGN. Flat design is sticking around for 2014. Apple, always a trendsetter, went even flatter with iOS 7, so don’t expect this trend to fade away anytime soon. It made headlines in 2013, and it’s sticking around for the top web design trends for 2014.
5. LOTS OF SCROLLING. Mobile design has made both designers and viewers comfortable with the idea of lots of scrolling, so embrace it in 2014. Many sites are incorporating scrolling as a feature, urging viewers to scroll down the page as though they’re reading a story. This storytelling technique can really suck a viewer into your website, especially when it’s combined with parallax scrolling.
6. SIMPLE COLOR SCHEMES. Why use a rainbow of colors when you could use just one or two? Simplified color schemes work well with flat design and can add a lot of drama. They immerse you in the website’s content instead of distracting you with a plethora of hues and shades.
7. FOCUSED CONTENT. If you want your viewer to focus on what’s important, your content must be streamlined and simplified. Instead of a dozen elements fighting for attention, in 2014 you’ll see short bursts of text and carefully chosen images and graphics. And speaking of images . . .
8. QUALITY IMAGES. It’s much easier to achieve great image quality these days. Creative and beautiful images cost less than ever before and loading speed is faster than ever before. So if you’ve got great photos, show them off! Images draw the viewer’s eye. Plus, they look fantastic on retina displays.
9. GRID STYLE. Again, this isn’t a new trend, but grid-style layouts are sticking around for 2014. They help designers condense information into an easy-to-read, organized format. Grid style is easy on the eyes and helpful to the viewer.
10. LARGE INTROS. Intro areas at the top of websites are dominating home page real estate. This area is usually covered in a large graphic or image (a.k.a., a hero image) and little copy. As the year continues, we expect to see more of these large, interesting, and elaborate heroes.

Give them a round of applause, ladies and gents! The top 10 web design trends for 2014! Embrace them and use as you please. And if you aren’t a fan of these design ideas, ignore them and create your own trends. Originality is always in style!