It’s time once again to share the newest website design trends, so you can stay up to speed on the latest and greatest in the industry.

While compiling our website design trend research, we saw three notable themes emerge this year:

More experimentation in web design
Introduction of 3D/webVR effects.  
A renewed focus on the consumer
We also saw several trends continue from 2017, such as the utilization of big, bold colors, experimentation with typography, and the steady use of asymmetrical design.

If you are a chamber of commerce, association, or non-profit website owner, these design trends are great to keep in mind for content updates or upcoming redesigns.  

So many trends to explore in this post! Let’s dive in.

The Power of Storytelling

Unfortunately, many websites can come off feeling like a jam-packed restaurant menu. Watch for designers to begin weaving stories together, such as the Oklahoma River’s journey featured on Greater Oklahoma City’s website.  

More Interactivity

Similar to the trend above, also watch for websites to begin to include more elements of interactivity for consumers. Puzzles, quizzes, and games will begin to pop up more often, such as this quiz from the Red Cross. 

Bottom-level Sticky Elements (Instead of Top-level)

As smartphones continue to evolve, web designers have gotten smarter at understanding how consumers use them. By simply swapping out menu items from the top of the phone to the bottom, it creates a much easier mobile experience for consumers’ overworked thumbs.

Continuation of the Simple/ Minimalist Look

 As noted by several outlets in 2017, the simple/minimalist look continues to be a strong trend in 2018. Many websites, such as Huge, Inc., continue to use fewer photos, bigger text, and strategic whitespace with the goal of a clean, modern-feeling experience.

Typography Experimentation & Big, Bold Fonts

Typography also continues to be an area where web designers are pushing the envelope. Watch for 2018 to showcase brand-new fonts, experiment with character size and weight, and work towards better accessibility for people with vision problems.  

Voice-Designed Experience

As consumers continue to do more on smaller screens, more voice-designed experiences are appearing on websites.  Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home are exploding in growth, and designers are beginning to add voice aspects, hoping to enrich the mobile experience.  

Scroll-triggered Animation 

The scrolling animation trend was spotted early last year when Apple used it, and then Heco and Time is Money showed up with impressive examples. Look for more designers to involve the scroll bar when animating this year as well.

3D Effects in Video

As video continues to explode online, 3D effects are becoming more popular, in order to show products or experiences from every angle. This clean, minimalistic website from Clarity uses 3D effects nicely to compliment their overall design.  

Rise of WebVR

Lastly, what website design trend list is complete without talking about virtual reality? While it’s still early, experts say we may start seeing small elements of VR included as it continues to grow.