Bold typography. Fullscreen background videos. Virtual reality. These are just some of the trends in web design this year. Whether you’re a small business owner or a pro creating an online portfolio, you have more options than ever. And with a slew of powerful DIY tools and possibilities — including a customizable platform like Squarespace, freelance talent and your iPhone — all of these website techniques are well within reach.
1. Invite them in on the action with video
To give site visitors the sense that they’re right there with you, greet them with video. Consider using a service to create a popular “whiteboard video,” which use simple animation to explain complicated topics or post a candid video from your iPhone. Fullscreen background videos are also making a big splash.
On the homepage for Maple, for instance, video imagery spills off the page to illuminate the company’s services, while an overlay of static text communicates key messaging. That text is key: when you use video of any kind, remember that not everyone wants to watch. Provide the same information in other ways — as text or still photography — to keep all your visitors happy and informed.
2. Start with a template, then customize it
Whether you’re a business owner generating leads or a professional creating an online portfolio, you have more web design options than ever. To take advantage of this brave new world, use a template like one of those offered via Squarespace. When you find the right template, you can customize the design easily to suit your needs more precisely. The templates support your ability to display any kind of animation and photography, and allow you to experiment with spacing, color and typography to achieve the style that you want.
3. Invest in original photography
If you have any budget at all, consider commissioning a photographer to capture original images. It will pay dividends, as great photography instantly makes a page look more professional. If you’re up against a tight budget, your iPhone can capture powerful shots if you follow some important best practices. Also consider using photography in which the subject is silhouetted against a crisp white or black background. This on-trend technique affords an instantly modern look.
4. Go next level with virtual reality
360-degree video is part of the growing virtual reality trend. WebVR has a rundown of (you guessed it) VR for the web, in which VR techniques are used on websites to give viewers an interactive and often immersive look into a physical location. These techniques are used frequently for architecture or housing tours.
The technology for 360-video allows viewers to drag a cursor around a photo that expands in all directions. The VR experience takes that concept one step further, with viewers wearing VR goggles to enclose themselves in the image. Some sites now accommodate viewers who do not have their own headsets, allowing them to use their phones.
5. Carefully consider your typography
They say that design is 90 percent typography, because it can so disproportionately affect a layout. One trend has large lettering sitting atop a large, lush, fullscreen photo. In other cases, more ornate styles reign: a hand-lettering approach adds a human element, while embossed or debossed effects lend a premium, tactile sensibility. Just be sure to use such flourishes judiciously. In fact, you can’t go wrong with an understated sans serif font like Arial or Helvetica. Classic can still be bold and beautiful.
6. Saturate your site with color
Stand out with rich colors. Which ones? That’s up to you. Design industry trend watchers and setters agree that color is key this year, but they forecast everything from a shift toward more subtle tones to the rise of bright, saturated hues. To see how far you can take color, view a demo of the color-filled Squarespace templates, Momentum and Cacao. No matter the colors you choose, learn and follow classic color rules: use a limited palette (you can achieve chromatic harmony with four or fewer colors) and choose colors that complement your message: think primary red for a high-drama message, tonal blue for zen content.
7. Be sure you’ve got substance behind the style
Your visual decisions won’t mean much if they’re not in service of great content. Take good care to strike a balance between art and copy. A Squarespace template like Tudor is visually strong, but, rather than overpowering the content, it showcases the text. Visuals should serve your message, not the opposite, thus keeping the spotlight where it belongs: on you and your business.
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