Keeping up with the latest web design trends is a great way to manage a site. Finding the right Montreal web design firm for your design needs is the key to getting your website off the ground. Here are 11 important trends you should consider for your site in 2019.
1. 3D Graphic Art
Designers can add depth and realism to illustrations using 3D effects. This technique helps blend content with a digital presentation to create a modern look. It’s one of the top web design trends that provide a refreshing departure from relying on flat images. Adding 3D photos to your website will make it stand out from the millions of sites that don’t use any visual effects.
2. Minimalism and Brutalism
A 2019 web design concept that is regaining steam is minimalism. Brutalism is an extreme form of minimalism that goes against the grain of eye-catching imagery. The goal of brutalism is to provide information in a raw form with minimal window dressing. This approach appeals to people who embrace underground and independent subcultures. Using this approach is making a statement that rebels against hype and conventionalism. One of the common techniques used in minimalism and brutalism is excessive white space, which contributes to the “less is more” ideal.
3. Vintage Imagery
Many new sites use a web design that accents last century’s nostalgia. Using vintage styles for presenting photos shows your site is open to a wide audience and that you have an appreciation for history. The more your website can tap into different time-periods, the more it will be embraced by people who have a sense of how pop culture has evolved in the internet age.
4. Bold Typeface
One of the 2019 web design must-haves in your arsenal should be discrete use of bold typography. While designers have used ‘bold’ as an option for many years, its use is now being refined with the growing understanding that internet users do not read every word of a blog. Using bold typeface is a simple way to help readers scan articles to get to the desired content quicker.
5. Timed Animations 
As a manifestation of responsive web design, many sites are taking on a mobile-first approach to animation. Timed animations help guide the user toward more in-depth content. Animated buttons and switches are now used to inform users when an action is complete. Screen transformations that generate changing imagery can be useful in holding a user’s attention. Mobile UI animations can personify specific actions within an application. Keep in mind that Google now prioritizes mobile-first websites.
6. More Emphasis on Text
One of the top web design trends in recent years for information sites has been a movement toward a larger text that dominates screens. Large font mixed with large buy buttons is clearly a result of people using smartphones more to make purchases. Several major publications are using big bold type more often to convey data to audiences faster. While over 90 percent of most web content is text, in 2019, web designers are doing their best to make text look as appealing as possible.
7. Increasing Website Speed
Even the most innovative web design trends must take into account the importance of loading speed for web pages. As designers experiment with creative visual ideas, they must always be mindful that loading speed is a higher priority for users. It’s still true that on average, internet users only allow up to 20 seconds for loading before they move on to the next site. Applications and big graphics can slow down a website as alternative strategies must be considered. Check out this guide from Matt Diggity on how you can improve your website’s speed.
8. CSS3 Animation
CSS3 animation is one of the innovative web design trends reserved for designers who use code. This technology intended to simplify web design is in its early stages of development. CSS3 animations are a new specification for CSS as developed by W3 Schools. One of the reasons developers are adopting this method is that it avoids using JavaScript, which can slow down a web page. CSS3 animations allow the appearance and behavior of an image to be changed in multiple keyframes.
9. Dynamic Video Backgrounds
Designers are starting to capture attention with dynamic video backgrounds that contain short sequences of moving objects. These videos can deliver information more effectively than long text, allowing the viewer to learn at a faster pace. These videos can extend user time on a page, including mobile use when accessing sites that emphasize responsive web design. These backgrounds can be made easily by manipulating a series of images and configuring the composition as a loop, such as a rotating object.
10. Brighter Gradients
One of the web design must-haves in 2019 is tools for brighter gradients that are more fluid than in the past. Gradients add diversity and attractive aesthetics to images, particularly those that display outdoor scenery. It has become clear from visual platforms such as Facebook and Instagram that brightness plays a role in how well images stand out. The brightness factor becomes obvious when an image appears dark on Facebook in relation to other images. Fusing brighter gradients for eye-catching imagery has increased in recent years as a technique for evoking emotion.
11. Broken Grid Techniques
Sometimes trends can be backlashes against overdone trends, such as designing a website within a set grid. Using a grid helps the designer align objects for a sensible presentation and easy navigation. Outside-the-box designers are breaking away from the grid system to explore creative freedom. This experimentation could lead to new ways to capture the attention of online users. An example of broken grid design is the use of parallax scrolling, which creates a 3D effect of a moving background contrasting with the foreground.
Final Thoughts
If you want your site to stay up-to-date with current web design trends, you need to work with an experienced Montreal web design firm that explores the cutting edge. Contact us at Pearl White Media to get a quote and book an appointment for your web project.
