As we launch into 2016, it’s quickly becoming evident which trends in web design will reign throughout the new year. While some trends like flat and minimal design continue to be popular, smaller movements such as the use of organic photos are slowly forcing stock photography into extinction. Below, we’ve put together four of the top web design trends that you can expect to see throughout 2016 and beyond:
Mobile Apps and Social Sites
The amount of time spent on IOS and Android connected devices rises by the minute worldwide. Websites are seeing only 14% of activity occurring through browser use, while the rest of the 86% is occurring through apps.Since it’s clear that mobile apps and social sites aren’t going anywhere, designers are getting better at designing interfaces that are cross-functional. Whether you’re looking at an app from an iPad, Galaxy, Smart TV, or Apple Watch, you can expect the layout of the application to be clean, simple, and easy to navigate through.
Natural Stock Photography
With the rise of free stock photo distributors like Unsplash, Death to the Stock Photo, Offset, and Stocksy, most people are opting to use natural, landscape imagery on websites, blogs, and apps rather than— you guessed it— cheesy stock photos. Expect to see less smiling employee group shots, and more mountains and cityscapes in the coming year.
Rich Animations
Animation continues to rise in popularity in order to enhance website storytelling, making the overall experience more interactive and engaging. You can expect to see more large scale, small scale, and loading animations, using flat and minimalist shapes to deliver a compelling story that is easy to follow.
Card-Style Interface
This type of interface uses a card-styled design, like what you see on Pinterest, Instagram, or Netflix, where each card contains content that represents one specific concept. It keeps information organized in a user-friendly container and is engaging for users. It also works almost seamlessly across devices because cards can “stack” across or down the screen (or both) on websites and apps.