Web design trends in 2024. How to choose your style?
Web design is a creative and dynamic industry that changes and develops every year. In order to create effective websites, every designer needs to closely monitor this process.In this article, we will look at the top 4 web design trends in 2024 and help you choose your style.
Retro
As opposed to modern and technological solutions, retro is still a trend in web design. This style reflects the aesthetics of the Internet's emergence - many of those who witnessed this period feel a pleasant sense of nostalgia when looking at desktop icons or flashy cursors.
Yes, the 90s and 00s are officially back in fashion. However, modern designers try to avoid the clumsy aspects of that time, leaving only reinterpreted characteristic elements.
Here are some trendy retro design elements that you can use on your website:
- Shiny text effects
- An abundance of bright colours, especially pink
- 3D text
- Gradients
- Highlights
- Bold, large font
- Gothic images
Neo-brutalism
Brutalism is an architectural trend of the 1950s that is known for its rejection of all visually appealing solutions and the creation of simple buildings made of concrete. It became the main source of inspiration for the new style in web design. Neo-brutalism combines the main concept of the trend - the rejection of traditional rules - with modern standards of typography, illustration and animation.
Neo-brutalist websites are characterised by:
- Unusual background colours
- Absence of gradients
- Bold and futuristic typography
- Static animations
- Stark contrasts
- Dark outlines
- 45° shadows with the same colour and transparency as the outline
- Inconsistent layout
This style laid the foundations of a new trend in web design. There are many opportunities for creative use of animation or 3D, as well as fresh combinations of fonts and colours in neo-brutalism.
Neo-brutalist websites are suitable for brands or products aimed at the creative layer of the audience. Such large companies as Figma and Gumroad have already adapted their website designs to this trend
Skeuomorphism
Skeuomorphic design was at the peak of its popularity in the last decade, and at some point it was even considered ‘dead’, receiving a lot of criticism. But web design trends are cyclical, and today the trend is becoming relevant again. In 2024, skeuomorphism in web design will be used in a new role - as an offshoot of retro style.
The main function of this trend is to make interfaces more familiar and simple for the user. For this purpose, skeuomorphism uses direct associations. For example, Apple's first smartphones featured button icons that resembled physical glossy buttons, photos with white frames that looked like real-world photos, etc. Many tech companies actively used this style in their interfaces to introduce their innovations to the audience.
And it really helped technological devices to become more understandable for users. Today, skeuomorphism looks too clumsy to be used for its intended purpose, so you can borrow some of its elements. Use them to make your web design more immersive and realistic, help users better understand the interface, and bridge the gap between digital and physical space.
Minimalism
One of the most stable trends in recent years (not only in web design, but also in fashion, architecture, and even lifestyle) is minimalism. The secret of its popularity lies in the fact that the purity and simplicity of a website is the key to its convenience, functionality and charming aesthetics.
Minimalism in the context of web design has many advantages:
- Fast website loading
- Easy navigation
- It is easier to make responsive web design
- More opportunities for SEO promotion
- Fewer lags and breakdowns
- Design has been relevant for many years
Taking classic minimalism to the extreme, experts challenge conventions and create ultra-minimalist website designs, leaving only the most necessary things in them.
Classical minimalism is characterised by a minimum of options, a lot of free space, a limited colour palette and bright, catchy typography.
Minimalism is one of the basic trends taught in web design courses. This style is especially popular among companies that want to convey a sense of sophistication and professionalism.
How to choose your style?
When choosing your web design style, it is important to consider not only the latest trends but also your personal expression. Modern web design invites creativity and self-expression. Start with your own preferences and the style you like. Define your goals and audience, integrate innovative elements such as animation or interactivity. Focus on adaptability to different devices and developing a unique brand. Colour palette and typography play a key role, choose them based on the emotional impression you want to convey. The most important thing is to be true to yourself and develop a web design that reflects your character and attracts your target audience.
