Upcoming Web Design Trends For 2022
If you’ve been following our content for a while, you will know that web design is a lot more than just some nice colours and attractive pictures. It is about how you present a complete user experience, designed to guide your ideal customer towards the actions you want them to take. And with that comes clever, innovative, and memorable web design.
In this article we explore some of the upcoming trends for 2022 and beyond, considering what is changing in terms of user expectation and how we can keep up with the ever-changing customer demands in our web design.
The Importance Of A Responsive Web Design
Before we dive into the top design trends for your website as we move closer to 2022 and beyond, it is first worth noting how important it is to focus every web design effort on responsiveness.
Responsiveness is the term we use to describe a website that adjusts itself to any device and any type or size of screen, regardless of where and when it is being accessed. Crucially, it is responsiveness that enables a mobile user to enjoy the same high-quality experience as a desktop user or a laptop user, with the design shifting to not only fit the screen but ensure a user-friendly navigation and overall experience.
As you continue reading this article and considering how to integrate some of the upcoming trends into your own web design, make sure that responsiveness is always front and centre of your design decisions - enticing and supporting the journey of every user across every device.
The Top Web Design Trends For 2022
Without further ado, let's dive right into the upcoming design trends.
Dynamic, Localised Content
The internet is getting smarter - and with it, web designers and businesses need to be adapting their online presence to suit this. Dynamic and localised content refers to the content and copy you present to users based on their search history, their location, or their previous purchases. Think of it like tailored marketing and advertising, but in a more conversational and well-rounded way.
In terms of web design specifically, this means that designers will be busy creating content for different audiences based on their dynamic profile - and when done right, it has the power to boost conversion and engagement ten-fold.
Voice Search Optimisation
This is a really interesting one because it focuses on the way your website matches copy with the way your ideal customer and user is speaking. The rise in voice-activated searches through tools like Alexa and Siri means that an increasing number of users are making searches through speech rather than typing. Believe it or not, this changes the way that searches are phrased and presented.
An example might be someone searching for a chemist. In the search bar, they might type ‘chemist near me’ but when speaking out loud, the search is more likely to be phrased as ‘where’s the nearest chemist?’
Notice how the latter is a question? Voice search optimisation considers all of these factors which change when we speak out loud compared with typing - encouraging web design with built-in keywords that are chosen specifically for voice search.
Get your copywriters on board because this is definitely one for them to get their teeth into!
Minimalism
The two previous trends are jam-packed with things for designers to do, however, this particular trend scales it back and puts the spotlight on minimalist design and lots of white space. Contrary to popular belief, white space on a website is crucial for enabling users to take in the information you are providing and break it down into digestible chunks. It makes a website easier to navigate and more enjoyable to browse - and as such is set to continue as one of the most popular design trends across the web design industry.
Longer Pages
This one is all about making the website experience as easy as possible for the user, by presenting them with a website that is all about scrolling rather than clicking to visit new pages. Using a simple and intuitive layout, longer web pages allow you to present all the key information on one page - introducing, marketing, and ultimately selling your products or services all on one page.
This may sound like it’s overstuffing pages and completely contradicting our ‘minimalism’ trend explored previously, but it can in fact reduce your bounce rate and keep users engaged for longer without breaking the experience cycle.
Interactive Content
There is no escaping the rise of video and interactive content. Whether it’s social media, websites, or news pages, users want to see more video - and the proof is in the outcome with video content better at engaging and converting users on a regular basis.
As well as video, other interactive content that supports your business model can make your website attractive to users: for example, an online calculator for mortgage advisor businesses, or a quiz for beauty businesses. Making your website more experiential will keep users on it for longer - and remember, lots of customers in the modern age want self-guided experiences without the need to pick up a phone. This directly addresses that desire.
Faster Load Times
This isn’t just for the users, it’s also for your ranking with Google. Google values the user experience above all else and with the introduction of core web vitals in 2020, page and content load time became one of the three core elements of a good website through the eyes of our favourite search engine. This means focussing on the elements of your web pages that are slowing load times down, altering them or eradicating them completely.
After all, 21st-century users will not wait - so if you want them to convert into customers, your content needs to be there and ready to read within seconds.
