Welcome to the world of tomorrow. With faster connections, better tools, and an endless supply of constantly changing electronic devices, the look of the web has changed dramatically in the last few years. So let’s predict what may be trending in 2015 . . .
Responsive Design
Over the last few years, responsive design has proven to be the new standard for web design in general. Global smartphone usage increased rapidly (1.75 billion users so far and growing, according to eMarketer), and an increasing number of busy business professionals conducted business on their phones or tablets as opposed to their desktop computers. That was certainly the case in 2014, and I don’t really see that changing in 2015. Basically, responsive design is no longer a trend and should now be considered the norm.
Emphasis on Typography
Type kits are becoming more affordable (or free, in the case of Google Fonts), which in turn means that there is more freedom and flexibility for designers to bring some mad typography skills to the web design table. And it’s not all just for show—great typography greatly affects the readability, accessibility, usability, and overall personality of the site and the brand.
Bigger, Better, and More Beautiful Background Images and Videos
A big hit in 2014 was the development of the ability to use large images or videos as backgrounds on sites. This was mainly thanks to the improvement in Internet connections and the ability to have more data transfer per second. More bandwidth means quicker-loading images in real time.
Large, amazing-looking photos can really make a site stand out and allows content to get noticed more quickly by those who browse the site.
Personalized Content
Having focused, well-organized content that that attracts your target audience is of the utmost importance. Don’t get me wrong—great content has always been important. But now, being able to deliver relevant, personalized content will be a game changer.
It’s all about segmenting your audiences and directing your content using relevant tools such as Universal Analytics and Marketing Automation. This kind of dynamic content can help reduce bounce rates, build trust, and increase conversions.
It appears that the dominant trends of 2014 will carry into 2015 and beyond, maturing and evolving along the way. It’s not even a matter of “trends,” really, but rather how people interact with one another online. What is important is that we focus on getting the right content to our users in a way that is natural, easy, and beautiful, regardless of what the shifting technological trends have in store for us.
