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May 3, 2024
Web design trends in 2024 continue to change. Heraclitus said "The only constant in life is change." The world of web design is an ever-evolving concept. From design elements, to code change. From block elements, to AI.
As web developers, it is our job to stay current on it all. We have chosen the top 5 website design trends that we've seen so far this year. Some have been around for awhile. They continue to captivate online audiences. Others are new.
And get ready, because our first topic is flipping web design on its head!
Mobile-first design is a design strategy that prioritizes the user experience on mobile devices over desktops or other devices. Simply, this means designing the mobile version of your site first. Then, expanding to the tablet and desktop versions after.
There are an increasing number of people accessing websites and applications on their smartphones. In fact, according to a their post on Internet Traffic in 2024, What's the Big Data says that 60.67% of users on your website are using mobile devices. Exploding Topics points out that a staggering 92.3% of all users accessing the internet are using a mobile device.
It is essential for businesses to adopt a mobile-first approach to ensure that their content is accessible and usable on smaller screens.
By designing with mobile in mind first, designers can create a seamless and responsive experience for users across all devices. This approach improves user satisfaction and boosts conversion rates and overall engagement. In today's digital age, mobile-first design is no longer just an option, but a necessity for staying competitive in the market.
"AI Won’t Replace Humans — But Humans With AI Will Replace Humans Without AI." That's a bold quote and the tile of a 2023 article by Harvard Business Review.
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) has been working it way into most industries. Web development is no different. AI and machine learning have revolutionized the way websites are designed and developed.
With AI-powered tools and technologies, web designers can now create things that they may not have been able to before. AI can assist in creating personalized user experiences. It can analyze data to optimize website performance. AI can even predict user behavior and write code.
We have been discussing and using AI at Fierce for a couple of years now. We believe in harnessing the power and capabilities of AI to improve our work. But we always rely on the human-element for the final touches.
For example, we may use ChatGPT or HubSpot to help generate a list of ideas for an article. Sometimes, we even enlist it to write a meta-description for a webpage. But we do the majority of the writing ourselves. And we always edit AI writing to add our own touch and to check for errors.
So this begs the question: will website that use AI generated content still rank in search engines? According to guidance from Google, they do not penalize a site for using AI, nor is it against their guidelines. However, there is no specific gain rewarded for using AI, either.
The best rule of thumb is to create high-quality, engaging content that is designed with the user in mind. That's our commitment to you in creating an amazing website.
We believe that it is important that all content on your site is unique. We have long-avoided using stock imagery whenever possible on a website. But this can involve time-consuming photo shoots and sometimes the timelines don't lineup with the web development process.
AI to the rescue again! While we've all seen some pretty hilarious AI image fails, it's important to remember that AI can also produce some pretty amazing results.
Sticking to our earlier principal, we will usually start with an image that we created. Then we'll enlist the help of AI in various tasks. Usually we'll use it to remove or add an element from a photo.
Here's an example. On the left is the original. The right-side is the edited photo. Can you tell what AI helped us with?
Before AI Edits
After AI Edits
If you said "remove the window frame on the left side of the photo", then you're right!
Have you ever been scrolling through a website and noticed an element fade in or slide into place? Or maybe you've seen an element do a little wiggle when you hover over it.
These kinds of interactivity provide a bit of a refreshing brain break from the standard scrolling of the past. We've been using these for several years now. But the nuances of the interactions have evolved.
Be on the lookout for more fun animations in web design.
Accessibility in web design is a crucial step in the process that many companies overlook. Ensuring that your website is accessible to all users, regardless of disabilities, is a legal requirement. But it's also a moral obligation.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has specific guidance on how to make your website accessible. This includes incorporating features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigation options, and text-to-speech capabilities. Following this guidance, you can make your website more inclusive and user-friendly.
Ignoring this guidance limits the potential reach of your website. But even more seriously, it alienates a significant portion of your audience. This can hurt your business and ultimately set you up for potential lawsuits.
Prioritizing accessibility in web design is not just a trend. It is a fundamental aspect of creating an impactful and successful online presence.
We at Fierce Creative Solutions believe in fair accessibility for all and we want to help you make your website ADA compliant. Contact us for more information on how we can help ensure that your site is compliant.
The 5 web design trends listed above are a sampling of the many possibilities in website design. If you're interested in discussing a new website, visit our website design page. Our designers and developers can't wait to bring a new online presence to your website.
We'd also love for you to browse examples of our work (link to projects page). Contact Fierce Creative Solutions today!
