This month, we are looking at some of the web design trends for 2020. In this article, we will focus on the visual design aspects of websites.
“The 10,000 foot-view of these trends makes it clear that ‘web’ design looks more like traditional ‘graphic’ or ‘print’ design than ever.
The amount of flexibility that designers in being expressive and creatively nimble is astonishing compared to just five or ten years ago.”
–Khoi Vinh, Senior Director of Product Design at Adobe XD.[1]
A dominating grid of cards
Websites are commonly laid out on a grid. Grid web layouts are a direct descendent of the grids used in print layouts. They are consistent, regardless of the screen size on which it is reproduced, allowing them to work well with responsive designs. Read more about the history of the grid as an element of design. Grids can vary in size, spacing, and the number of columns.
Cards are the perfect companion for the grid layout. Cards are essentially containers for clickable information. The style of cards can vary based on screen size. Information heavy content can be arranged in bite-sized previews, which users can dive into by clicking or tapping the card. This is particularly useful on sites that display a lot of items with equal hierarchy (Think Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube).
Muted landscapes
These make beautiful heroes (the large banner area at the top of the website which takes up most of the screen). Popular with photographer’s websites, they are also well-utilized in travel and destination websites such as this site for Trail Breaker Kennel.
Geometric shapes and lines
Geometric shapes, lines (including fine lines), and patterns are making a comeback. Our all-star example of this is the creative innovation company 4000 More Creative. The logo alone includes all of it: Geometric shapes, Lines (including fine lines) and patterns. This site is also an excellent example of…
Trendy color schemes
Trendy color schemes like bright bold colors and retro color schemes are both big this year. Bold colors are used throughout the 4000 More Creative site, but their pineapple takes the upside-down cake.
Just for bonus points, 4000 More Creative uses a video hero, which we looked at last week.
Compatible Visual Design
The goal of visual design isn’t just to be trendy. It’s being compatible with the message of the website. That’s why the 4000 More Creative site can utilize extra creative elements. Trail Breaker Kennel and other destination type sites want to visually transport you. That takes something epic and mystical like a muted landscape. A dominating grid of cards is perfect for a paint store like Hirschfield’s. It evokes the feeling of looking at paint chips in a brick and mortar paint store.
Iceberg Web Design creates websites that are innovative in visual design and compatible with the message that their client wants to send. Contact us today to see how we can help you tell your story.
[1] Turner, Leigh. “10 Web Design Trends That Will Dominate Your Screen in 2020.” Fundamentals | The Next Web, 20 Dec. 2019, thenextweb.com/adobe-fundamentals/2019/12/20/10-web-design-trends-that-will-dominate-your-screen-in-2020/.
