5 Website Design Trends of 2022
the good and aspects that should remain in last year
Are you looking to give your website a fresh look for the new year? Want to stay up-to-date with the latest design trends? This blog post will share the top 5 website design trends from 2022. From minimalist design to interactive elements, these trends will help you create a modern and user-friendly website that stands out in a crowded online marketplace. Check to see if your online property has incorporated some of these elements; how many does your website have?
As the owner of ZFMK Creative, Zachary Kunstman has identified the top 5 website design trends of 2022. These trends include minimalist design, which uses simple, clean, and uncluttered elements to create a sleek and modern look. Responsive design is another trend that ensures a website looks and functions well on all devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. Interactive elements, such as hover effects and scroll animations, are also popular and help make a website more engaging and memorable. Stock photos, while helpful, should be used sparingly to avoid a generic and unoriginal appearance. Finally, video backgrounds are on the rise and can add visual interest and movement to a website. By incorporating some of these trends into your website design, you can create a modern and user-friendly site that stands out in a crowded online marketplace.
1. Minimalist Design
Simple, clean, and uncluttered designs were popular in 2022. This trend uses negative space and minimal elements to create a sleek and modern look. Blvck’s website shows that minimalist design does not only include a white-based color palette. Instead, other colors, like black shown, may help tell a bold and different design story while standing out.
As a professional with experience in web design and graphics, I have noticed that minimalist design has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many people are seeking a timeless aesthetic with pops of branding, color, icons, and imagery. Minimalist design is a style that uses simple, clean, and uncluttered elements to create a sleek and modern look. Client pages use negative or empty space to curate a sense of balance and clarity to promote aspects they deem important.
create a ratio of elements to follow on your website consisting of
40 percent blank space
30 percent imagery
10 percent headlines
20 percent copy
Minimalist design can be particularly effective for small business and organization websites. This style highlights the site's key components and makes it easy for visitors to find the information they seek quickly. By using a minimal amount of features, such as text, images, and colors, it is possible to create a visually appealing and streamlined design. Generally, ZFMK Creative advises making a ratio of elements consisting of 40 percent blank space, 30 percent imagery, 10 percent headlines, and 20 percent copy. When the design is finished, the ratio creates a web experience with prioritized space and zones.
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, minimalist design can also have functional benefits. For example, a clean and uncluttered design can improve the user experience by making the website easier to navigate and read. It can also help to improve the website's performance, as a more straightforward design will typically require fewer resources to load and run. Minimalism is a popular and practical approach that uses simple, clean, and uncluttered elements to create a sleek and modern look. This style is particularly beneficial for small business and organization websites, as it helps highlight the critical aspects of the site and improve the user experience.
A screenshot of Blvck’s website showing that minimalist design does not have to only be white, other colors can help tell a bold and pure story.
2. Responsive Design
With the increasing use of mobile devices, websites must be mobile-friendly. Responsive design ensures that a website looks and functions well on all devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. Cheetos' website at the beginning of 2023 shows a responsive design that changes well regardless of which device (desktop, tablet, or phone) it is viewed from.
Responsive design is essential for ensuring that a website is mobile-friendly and viewable on all devices. With the increasing use of mobile devices, websites need to be accessible and easy to use on a wide range of devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Responsive design ensures that a website automatically adjusts its layout and function to suit the size and capabilities of the device it is being viewed on. This means that a website with a responsive design will look and function well on all devices without the need for separate mobile versions of the site. This saves the web developer time and the client or business owner money.
By using responsive design, small business and organization owners can ensure that their website is accessible and easy for all users, regardless of their device. Long term this may increase the reach and accessibility of their website, as well as improve the user experience for visitors.
A screenshot of the Cheetos' website at the beginning of 2023 showing the responsive design that changes well regardless of which device (desktop, tablet, or phone) it is viewed upon.
3. Interactive Elements
Interactive elements can greatly enhance the website's user experience for its visitors. Interactive elements are features on a website that allow users to interact with the page in some way, such as by hovering over an image to reveal additional information or scrolling down to reveal animations. These small but mighty elements can help differentiate a good website from a great one but are optional to have a high-performing page.
Some examples of interactive elements that can be used on a website include:
Hover effects are visual changes that occur when a user hovers their cursor over a specific element on the page, such as an image or button.
Scroll animations are visual effects triggered as the user scrolls down the page, such as images or text appearing or disappearing.
Gamification involves using game-like elements, such as points or progress bars, to engage and motivate users.
These interactive elements can make a website more engaging and memorable for users. They can also help to keep users on the site longer, as they are more likely to explore and interact with the page. Koox Juice Farmacy out of the United Kingdom does a wonderful job of interacting with the visitor’s mouse with hover effects that bring the page alive with small movements of branding design. Incorporating interactive elements like those mentioned above can add a little flare to your page. Similar to colored icing on a cupcake, it may enhance the user experience and make it more engaging or memorable for users.
A screenshot of Koox Juice Farmacy where the live website incorporates interactive elements when a visitor moves their mouse around their page.
4. Overuse of Stock Photos
While stock photos can be a useful tool, relying too heavily on them can make a website look generic and unoriginal. From my experience in design, stock photos can be a helpful tool for small business and organization owners looking to add visual elements to their websites. Stock photos are pre-existing photographs licensed for various creative projects, including websites.
However, these images' utilization has its place and limits to their genuine placement. It is essential to use stock photos sparingly and not rely too heavily on them. Using too many stock photos can make a website look generic and unoriginal. This is because multiple organizations and businesses often use stock photos so that they may be seen on multiple websites.
Avoid a generic and unoriginal appearance by creating a balance between the use of stock photos with original, custom photos. Authentic images can be captured specifically for your business or organization through content generation with a professional. The result can create a tailored fit for your specific branding and messaging. This can make your website more unique and memorable. While stock photos can be helpful, it is vital to use them sparingly and balance them with original, custom photos to avoid a generic and unoriginal appearance.
A screenshot of Aviva’s website for Business Insurance showing an image that appears on multiple websites giving it less authenticity.
5. Flat Design
While flat design has been popular in recent years, more depth and texture may be introduced in design trends in the future. Flat design is a graphic design approach that emphasizes minimalism and simplicity by eliminating unnecessary elements and distractions, resulting in a clean, uncluttered look. Design elements such as gradients, shadows, and textures are minimized or not used. Instead, flat, solid colors take up more design space. The focus is on simplicity and usability rather than making elements look realistic or three-dimensional. Flat design has been a popular trend recently and is often used in web and mobile design.
Some design experts predict that there may be a shift towards more depth and texture within designs and a greater focus on usability and functionality. This could include using gradients, shadows, and layering to create a sense of depth and dimension.
A screenshot of Microsoft’s website showing an example of flat design. The tech giant has gone between 3D with shadows and flat icons for their operating systems like other major players.
In summary, the website design trends for 2022 include minimalist design, responsive design, interactive elements, the sparing use of stock photos, and use of video backgrounds. These trends aim to create a modern and interactive user experience. Consider incorporating some of these trends to update your website and stay ahead of the competition.
As you can see, the website design trends for 2022 are focused on creating a sleek, modern, and interactive user experience. If you want to update your website and stay ahead of the competition, consider integrating some of these trends. And if you need a little help bringing your vision to life, don't hesitate to seek the assistance of a professional website design team. They can help you create a website that effectively showcases your brand and attracts your target audience. So why wait? Start the new year off right with a stunning and practical website design.
