With every new year comes new trends! The last few years have been a time of isolation, confusion, and adapting to a new world. Not only are many people entering this year with a humble approach, they are also reflecting back on the good times from the beginning of the new millennium. What can you expect to see in online branding and website design this year?
User Engagement
For over 25 years, the internet has been growing at a fast pace, especially during the pandemic when shopping and interacting in person were limited and using the internet was the only way to safely communicate. The overall skill and expertise of the average online user has increased, and so expectations are higher when it comes to attracting and keeping people interested in staying on a website.
The biggest design adaptation you will see more and more of this year is the use of design elements to engage the website visitor. Also, the use of specific color schemes, fonts, and other styles will have you feeling like you just stepped in a time machine and travelled back to the nostalgic times of the early 2000s.
1. An Immersive Experience
As the virtual reality and the metaverse continue to impact our everyday lives, you can expect to see similar features on website designs this year. Designs involving 3D images, loading animations, claymation (think: recent Kroger commercials) and "just for fun" graphics are just a few of the interactive experiences that are popping up in immersive designs this year.
The 3D graphics on a website create a type of VR experience by giving an image a life-like feel, while loading animations help to keep the user entertained while waiting for the website to load. Claymation are the rounded, clay-like cartoon characters and graphics similar to movies like "Shaun the Sheep" and "Wallace and Gromit." The use of "just for fun" graphics and interactions are simply used as a memorable feature on a website design and can keep users interested and on your site for longer periods of time. Even the potential to revisit the site and talk about it with others!
2. Retro and Pixelated Elements
Those fonts and graphics you used to use in the early days of the internet are making a comeback. Designers are using white space on this year's website designs to enhance the feel of the "old internet" but with a futuristic twist. Prominent text size, bright neon color blocking, and custom cursors are getting a modern makeover and being re-used to create the nostalgia of the early age of the online interface.
Designs are also implementing bright, happy colors for bold brands and contrasting them with pastel gradients for brands that are looking to create a calm vibe for their website visitors. After nearly 3 years post-Covid, people are happy to ditch muted, dark colors for ones that fit our aspirations for the future.
3. Video Content
This is nothing new this year, but the power of video content for website users only continues to grow. Whether it be company introductions, tutorials, or informational videos, the demand for this type of content is here to stay.
Whether the website design style trends for 2023 fit your brand or not, video content is highly recommended by website designers and even search engine optimization and evaluations. If you haven't already hopped on the video content train, make that a goal for this year!
How will this effect my branding?
Just because these are the trends for this year doesn't mean it is the right fit for your website design. However, there are ways to incorporate some of the above trends on a smaller scale, such as fonts or color usage.
If you are just starting out on your brand building journey and you are looking for a big, bold way to enter the online space, considering the nostalgic, interactive trends may be just what you are looking for!
We work with you create an online brand that fits your business and translates well to your customers, so if you have any questions or are ready to get started on growing your brand, reach out to us for more information!