As the year comes to a close, let’s take a look back at captivating trends like claymorphism, experimental navigation, dark themed websites, chatbots & brutalism and how they’ve shaped web design in 2023.
Staying ahead of the curve is essential for creating captivating online experiences that engage users and drive results. As we review some of the web design trends of 2023, a wave of innovative trends transformed the way we designed and interacted with websites. From the playful charm of claymorphism to the immersive power of AI personalisation, these trends partly shaped the current landscape of web design.
Playful Claymorphism.
Claymorphism, a trend that emerged in 2022, continued to captivate the hearts of designers and users alike throughout 2023. This unique aesthetic blended 3D elements with cartoonish illustrations, creating a playful and engaging user experience. Claymorphism’s tactile charm made it a versatile choice for websites in various industries, from e-commerce and education to entertainment and gaming. it’s also proved great for notifications and other elements that you want to stand out on the page, by literally making them stand out off the page.
Imagine visiting an e-commerce website that sells children’s toys. Instead of the usual product images and descriptions, you’re greeted with a playfully designed product display. The nature of claymorphism makes the products feel more inviting and engaging, encouraging users to explore and discover.
Experimental Navigation.
Traditional navigation menus took a backseat as experimental navigation techniques redefined the way users explored websites in 2023. This trend embraced innovation and creativity, breaking free from the constraints of the conventional menus we’ve become accustomed too. We’ve seen a lot more full-screen menus and abstract layouts that are more interactive and animated as well as mega menus with more imagery and story telling to lead the user around your website.
Picture yourself browsing a news website. Instead of clicking on links to navigate between articles or products, you seamlessly scroll through a visually engaging story that unfolds before your eyes. The background shifts, elements animate, and the narrative flows, immersing you in the content. This is the power of experimental navigation, creating an interactive and captivating experience. This won’t always meet the requirements of your website or your customers so the traditional navigation is here to stay.
Kinetic Typography.
Text, once a static element on web pages, came alive with movement and animation in recent years, thanks to the captivating trend of kinetic typography. This approach breathed life into content, adding a dynamic touch to web design and capturing attention in a way that traditional static text simply couldn’t. Kinetic typography’s ability to convey emotions, reinforce brand identity, and guide users visually made it a powerful tool for enhancing the overall user experience.
This has come in the form of simple fading animations to text movement to emphasise the message that the content is trying to convey. We’ve seen this trend mixed with experimental full-screen navigations with menu’s opening with an animation and the menu’s content appearing in sequence.
Simply put, kinetic typography makes you’re content more interesting and guides the reader on a journey you’ve created. This will continue into 2024 with more emphasis on animations to create intriguing and interactive experiences.
Dark Themes in Web Design.
In 2023, dark theme web design emerged as a prominent trend, driven in part by the widespread adoption of dark mode functionality on smartphones like the iPhone. This shift towards darker interfaces was fuelled by several factors, including the desire to reduce eye strain during prolonged screen time, enhance readability in low-light conditions, and create a more immersive and elegant user experience. This made dark themes a popular choice for websites in various industries, including news, fashion, technology, and entertainment. As well as seeing the automatic preference choosing the theme of your website, some have also chosen to add a manual toggle so the users have had a choice wether they want a dark mode or the default light mode experience.
As dark themes became more prevalent, web designers began to explore innovative ways to implement them effectively. They experimented with varying shades of dark colours, carefully considered contrast ratios to ensure legibility, and incorporated subtle design elements to maintain visual interest. The result was a surge of visually appealing and user-friendly websites that embraced the dark aesthetic.
Chatbots.
Chatbots have become an increasingly common element in web design, offering a convenient and interactive way for websites to interact with their users. While chatbots can provide many benefits, such as providing immediate customer support, answering frequently asked questions, and streamlining the user journey, they can also be perceived as annoying or intrusive if not implemented thoughtfully.
It’s highly likely with the rise in AI technology we continue to see more and more of this trend throughout 2024 and beyond. Our standpoint on chatbots are that they are a useful tool to assist with your website and users interacting with it but you can’t beat having a real human behind the message box. Human interaction is how we build trust in our brand.
Brutalism.
Brutalism emerged as a prominent web design trend in 2023, offering a bold and unapologetic aesthetic that challenged traditional design principles. This trend was characterised by raw, unfinished elements, stark contrasts, and a focus on functionality over form. While brutalism may seem counterintuitive in a world increasingly driven by the way things look, it resonated with designers and users alike who sought a more authentic and relatable online experience.
In 2023, brutalism was seen in a wide range of websites, from fashion and e-commerce to technology and portfolio sites. Designers embraced the raw and unrefined elements of brutalism, incorporating exposed grids, unfinished textures, and bold typography to create websites that felt stripped down and intentionally unapologetic.
Brutalism’s impact on web design is expected to continue into 2024, as the trend evolves and adapts to the ever-changing digital landscape. Designers will continue to explore the boundaries of brutalism, experimenting with new textures, layouts, and interactive elements. Brutalist design will also likely merge with other emerging trends, such as experimental navigation and AI, creating a fusion of raw aesthetics and intelligent user experiences.
Overall, brutalism has emerged as a significant force in web design, challenging conventional notions of beauty and functionality. As the trend continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly contribute to the way we interact with websites in the years to come.
The year 2023 has been a transformative period for web design, witnessing the emergence of innovative trends that have reshaped the way we create and interact with the web. While the trends discussed in this article represent a snapshot of the web design in 2023, they serve as a testament to the ever-evolving nature of this creative field. As we move towards 2024, it is evident that innovation, creativity, and user-centric design will continue to drive the evolution of web design, shaping the future of digital experiences.
Here are some additional web design trends that emerged in 2023:
- Micro-interactions
- Pastel colour palettes
- Bold colour gradients
- Geometric shapes
- Illustrations
- Overlapping text
- Structured typography
- Drag interactions
- minimalism
- Social proofing
- Creative and functional 404 pages
- Sustainability
- AI-led design and graphics.
Some of these have been around for a few years but have continued to grow into 2023 and we are sure will continue to grow throughout 2024 as well.
Has this sparked your interest? Would like Blunt Notion to design and build your next website? Get in touch today and we can bring you up to speed on how we can craft your online brand.
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