It’s time to say goodbye

Fashion trends come and go, this also goes for web design trends, of course.

Sometimes it’s hard to let go, because we hold on to the things we love.

In this presentation, we explore the various design trends that are dying.

Yes, dying.

Too many fonts

Typography can be beautiful, functional and is, of course, super important. But

it comes with limits. Such as knowing when to stop.

Be weary of using too many different fonts on websites, logos and business

cards, it can look really tacky if you do.

A good designer knows when to stop, and let’s face it, no one wants to look like

an amateur. Let’s drop it down a notch and use no more than two (maybe

three) fonts at the most.

Complicated Design

We all love imagery on sites, as well as icons, unique design elements, fonts

and huge header images. The use of these visual elements may seem exciting,

but it can also overwhelm and confuse your user.

As we go forward, trends are changing. The complication is simplifying; it’s still

enjoyable but your visual content should be quality focused. Less is more.

You don’t want to confuse your users or get them lost, you want them to see

your site as beautiful yet functional. Keep your imagery unique and minimal.

Confusing Forms

Today, with a large focus on the user experience, long, extensive, mind-

numbing forms are slowly being lowered into the ground.

Ecommerce sites, in the past, were the biggest culprits when it came to forms

(some still are, intervention is needed). Now, instead of asking long-winded

questions about personal information, the form asks for basic contact

information and can link to sites like PayPal. The user’s financial information is

stored in a safe, trusted, secured platform.

Customers are more likely to return to your site if the user experience stays fast

and easy.

Stock Photos

There is an overabundance of stock photos online as the libraries have grown

extensively over the years. So much so, that we’ve resorted to ‘awkward stock

photos’.

Designers trawl through these platforms everyday, hunting for free (or cheaper)

stock photos. The result: many websites end up with the same stock photos on

their pages. This makes it not only boring and confusing for the user, but it

could also make the brand seem fake and unattractive.

Why not customise your own photos? The designer should rather communicate

in a specific voice, relevant to the brand. Keep your site unique and

distinguishable.

Flash Intros

In the olden days (actually, not so long ago) web designers used Flash to

introduce their website. The animation was incorporated to grab the attention of

the user and give them something interesting to watch while the page loaded.

It’s over. It was a hindrance.

The trend now is to rather incorporate video into the design of the landing page;

the video can load while the user explores the rest of the page.

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Mobile Versions of Websites

Instead of building three different sites for three different platforms (Desktop,

Tablet and Mobile) designers and developers are now focusing on responsive

design, no more device detection and switching over. The experience becomes

integrated.

The site now responds to the width of the device regardless of the gadget type.

The experience is valuable and optimized.

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