Web Design Trends to Capitalize on in 2016

As with any type of design, web-based design is constantly evolving. This makes it difficult for professionals to predict which exact trends will be replaced and what will gain traction across the industry. From new digital interfaces, to advanced animations, to must-have collaboration tools, it’s important that you stay relevant to get ahead of the competition and give your design that extra edge. Here are 6 emerging trends that will shape 2016:

Minimalism

In 2015, you started to see minimalism grow in popularity and this trend will continue to advance into 2016. Although it is being adapted at a fast rate, it can be difficult to master the minimalism trend. It requires a “less is more” mentality. Minimalism is all about breaking everything down to the simplest elements. Try to eliminate rounded corners, color gradients or drop shadows and keep your color pallet simple. In this case, white space IS your friend, contrary to standard web-design beliefs.
Examples of websites that mastered minimalism: 
Gitman Shirts:

 
Quip:

HD Hero Images & Video

High definition (HD) imagery and video can make your design more elegant and can build depth into the content of your page. Not only is this aesthetically appealing, but it also helps to better tell the story/mission statement you are trying to convey.
Examples of HD Hero’s:
Jardan (Photo):

Peugeot – Follow Your Intuition (Video):

Typography

With HD imagery and interfaces, it is now possible to be more courageous when choosing fonts for our website. This allows designers to choose from a wide arrange of typefaces that make a statement and accurately reflect the underlying theme of their website. This positively impacts the user’s experience by allowing them to easily interpret the information.
Examples of well-used and adventurous fonts:
Exoskills:

Rezo-Zero:

Sliders

When sliders first appeared in website design, it was specifically made to showcase images within a frame. In current trends, you will now see full screen sliders. With each slide comes fresh new content. Users are able to manually click through these slides, scroll through the slides or the slides can be set on timers. These sliders will make your web page more attractive and will keep the user engaged.
Examples of sliders:
Iphone:

Camper Campaign:

Less Text & More Imagery

Today, consumers are more focused on visual information than they are on written content. In 2016 you will see more imagery replacing text wherever possible. As technology adaption rises, browsers are becoming more visually conceptual, and are able to render high definition images a lot quicker than in the past. Designers should capitalize on this “less is more” concept by implementing more imagery.
Examples of less text & more imagery:
Natan:

Cards

Today you will see card-based designs almost everywhere. Cards have become a go- to structure for putting a large amount of content on a small space. This essentially creates a grid layout while using less content. This is also ideal for mobile and responsive design due to their compatibility with responsive frameworks.
Examples of Cards:
Names For Change:

Dribble:

Final Thoughts

These 6 trends are only just a few of the many popular techniques/tools that will become extremely prominent in 2016. However, it is essential to keep in mind that the popular trend is not always the best choice. Make sure you only implement what is functional for your users and always choose the right ones for the job. This is sure to give your creations that extra edge and stand out from the crowd