Keeping an eye on the ever-changing web design industry can carry crucial information for business owners and anyone in the web design industry alike. When building a website, web designers are in an exciting position to create a design that brings their client’s vision to reality while also creating a website that can compete with others to attract viewers.

Following a pandemic that drove more businesses and consumers online, the field of web design seeks to achieve yet another level of realism. Web designers are pushing the boundaries by taking the digital world and fusing it with the ordinary like never before, showing us just how much websites have become a part of our everyday lives. Here are some of the top 2021 web design trends that have taken the digital space by storm.

Parallax Animations

Parallax animations create the optical illusion that makes an object near the viewer appear to move faster than things farther away, giving the visual effect on the web pages an equally natural and surreal feel. A real-life example of parallax is driving in the car. We see the objects closer to our view moving quicker compared to things in the distance that seem to be barely moving at all.

Web designers take you out of your screen and into a theater production with the added benefit of immersion created through foreground and background transformations. Users browsing the website’s pages think this is magical and are attracted to its convincing performance.

Transformative Scrolling

Simply flicking a finger over a mouse, users interact with a web page, which causes a response on the screen. With the subtle action of scrolling, web designers are using this interaction to boost users’ visual feedback when they scroll. With each scroll, web designers morph the user experience with each small detail and give a new website feel while all on the same page.

Dark Mode

Cue up Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” because dark mode has taken over computer and phone screens in 2021. Web designers use dark black backdrops to make design elements pop from the screen and highlight selected content. With a variation of names (dark mode, night shift, low-light), the dark mode offers a low-contrast website or app that is easier to look at in low-light environments. 

Some other reasons why dark mode is popular among web designers: 

• A solid color black can inspire strong emotions in people 
• It reduces eye strain in low-light conditions 
• It offers an ultra-modern look
• It serves as a battery saver for many devices.

Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

In the land of multimedia experiences, only so much can be discussed on videos and audio on a website. What about an immersive experience such as augmented reality (AR)? New technologies like the WebXR API and software made by Wayfair Technologies have opened up the possibilities of AR for almost everybody.

IKEA utilizes AR for the IKEA Studio App. They enable users to capture an entire room plan and redesign them, incorporating everything from wall colors and rugs to windows and door frames. Gone are the days of scratch paper sketching, measurements, and indecisive wasted trips to the furniture store. Instead, users can place virtual furniture in a room to see the potential customized space.

Videos as Design Components

It would not be right to discuss augmented reality without mentioning videos. Omnipresent in web design, web designers can easily use videos to add promotional or tutorial videos to a website, making users feel involved while promptly delivering essential information. Now, videos are playing a new role in the website design process by converting to design elements. With the seamless creation of new technologies, web designers can now incorporate videos into the design in exciting and unique ways.

ChatBots

Chatbots are an interactive feature that continues to stay relevant into 2021. A Chatbot is a computer software program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct an online chat conversation and respond to spoken and written language. Chatbots have long been an amusement for all ages, but businesses are turning to chatbots to takeover simple customer service requests available to customers 24/7.

Customer service and maintaining customer loyalty are essential elements of customer satisfaction that Chatbots can maximize for your business. For example, if a customer visits your website and has difficulty finding a specific product, but the chatbot knows where to locate the product on the website. The chatbot can assist in directing the customer to their intended product, taking out the risk of the customer becoming frustrated and turning elsewhere for their product needs. Furthermore, Chatbots have endless patience, leaving customers without the feeling of being rushed or undervalued when looking for additional support on your website.

Bringing Web Design Into the Future 

As a leading web design company, the Laing Media team stays up to date on design trends that help businesses thrive and stay profitable. 2021 web designers have already shown us visually enriched and interactive websites that use the above features to enhance engagement and improve user experience. Contact us today and learn how you can take your web design to the next level.