The 10 web design trends to watch in 2019

2019 is finally here! And with the new year comes new digital trends from an ever-changing industry. If you take a moment to think back over the past few months and your experience on the web, you'll probably be able to think of a few sites that stood out to you with their user-friendly interface and attractive presentation. The same goes for websites where you had a terrible user experience.

In today's digital world, incredible user experience and creative site design are not uncommon - they're even desired. So we've listed the trends that we think will have a major impact on the web design world this year. One trend you'll notice throughout this article is that designers are using motion and video capabilities to grab users' attention and keep visitors on the page longer.

The change in home pages has been going on for a while now. Although it was never recommended to put more than three images, the carousel has been very present in recent years, especially for sites that require the display of monthly promotions. Now that it's clear that a small percentage of users are reading the content of a carousel, designers have changed their strategy to get your potential customers to convert faster.

You will notice the appearance of "split-screen" design on your screens. This type of design will allow you to have a stronger message and to qualify your user from the first seconds of his interaction with your site.

Whether the screen is completely divided in two or not, we see more and more the use of double call to action. So here are two images of your carousel visible at first glance!

Whether it's a change of color or shape when a button is hovered over, the movement of images when the screen scrolls, or the fluid opening of a window, micro-animations have become an essential trend in web design.

Today, you need to show the user that they are taking action, in particular to facilitate their navigation, attract their attention and guide them through their journey. By improving the experience of your users, you will also increase your conversion rate.

Multiplying your site's micro-interactions will improve your users' engagement, but as with all good things, moderation is required. Too many micro-animations could damage the user experience by distracting them from the essential.

Before long, sites that don't include micro-interactions will seem outdated to Internet users. And that's certainly not your goal.

Sites are now designed directly for use on mobile screens, so it is not surprising to see more and more "hamburger" menus appear on our computer screens.

Over time, users have become accustomed to this type of menu, which now allows designers to simplify the top-level menu or simply provide a better overview for users.

In the example below, the menu simply opens to the side, clearing the space at the top and allowing the user's first action to be directed quickly. Do they want to know more about you or how you can help them achieve their goal?

In the same vein, the menu below opens full-width to give a complete overview of the site's content and even allows quick access to products.

This is how the mobile menus move quietly towards our computer screens and the mobile menus move downwards. They respond to the usual use of smartphones and our habit of navigating with one hand and our thumb.

Still inconceivable a few years ago, one of the trends that will be used more and more this year, will undoubtedly be the horizontal scroll. Imported from mobile applications, this concept is slowly taking its place on the web.

Having been around for several years now, chatbots are really taking over in 2019.

This trend can be explained by the technological advances in artificial intelligence that make these conversational robots more intelligent and efficient.

You will hardly be able to do without chatbots as they have become essential in customer relations, humanizing the brand and facilitating exchanges with consumers. Whether they are salespeople, advisors or simple information carriers, chatbots can take on a variety of roles.

But in practical terms, how will they look in 2019? Using bright colors will make your bot more visible on your web page and invite your visitors to converse. You should also create a mascot to humanize your bot and make it more friendly. Finally, even if it doesn't directly relate to web design, your bot will need to have a high level of customization to best answer the questions it will be asked.

Not so long ago, augmented reality still sounded like a futuristic concept out of our reach. Today, many companies are using it in their e-commerce strategy to offer their users a unique experience. Indeed, augmented reality can easily be implemented, as it can be used on any device with a camera. Bonlook, a Montreal-based company, uses this principle to allow Internet users to test their glasses live.

As mentioned earlier in this article, the user experience in 2019 will be enriched by being increasingly focused on the interactivity the user can have with your website or app.

Since 2010, Google has been offering a free font hosting service for the web. The Google Fonts site offers 877 fonts that have been downloaded more than 19 million times in the last years. This tool was definitely a big step forward for web typography, since previously, "web-safe" fonts were limited to about 15 default fonts from Microsoft.

About 10 years later, now that our lives and the way we do business revolve more and more around digital, typography is also finding ways to constantly renew itself. Recently, customization tools have emerged. In particular, Prototypo offers designers the chance to customize a font to their needs and get a unique element for their website.

Typography is becoming more and more important in the world of web design. Whether they are geometric, vintage, handwritten or experimental, they occupy more and more space, to sublimate the image and assert the messages of brands.

Whether it's to emphasize a particular product or service, or simply to simplify the layout, this year's minimalism brings with it the use of color blocks.

Over the past year, we have noticed this trend more and more among agencies. There is a clear preference for sober, even monochromatic brand images, in order to highlight the colors of their clients and therefore their achievements.

Little by little, we have seen this change take place at the distributor sites.

In the two examples below, different colors are used to highlight a particular product.

Expect to see more and more sites and applications with bold, bright and saturated colors this year, and take a trip back in time to the 80s with its explosive, pop, electric, acidulous and flashy colors.

The team at image bank Shutterstock confirms this trend by identifying the three colors most likely to gain popularity this year, but also the most popular colors by country based on the number of downloads they counted this year by hue.

While not all of these colors may apply to your needs, it is undeniable that the colors around us affect us on a daily basis and have an influence on our lives.

This is a trend that is emerging with the desire of companies to differentiate themselves and stand out from their competitors. Asymmetry will add dynamism, style and allow your users to enjoy a richer and less monotonous experience.

Overlapping colors and textures, intertwining text and images, unusual placements... These elements will allow you to think outside the box, but it will be important to do so in a planned and thoughtful manner. The challenge is to successfully combine blocks of asymmetrical elements while creating a balanced, harmonious and readable whole.

Authentic photographs

The choice of your photos and images should never be made lightly. A carefully chosen personalized visual will do without text, as it will communicate the authenticity of your company or product.

To ensure that you have unique and quality content, we advise you to collaborate with a photographer. You will then become an exclusive in your sector of activity.

The use of video

In recent years, we've realized that users are reading less and less. That doesn't mean your content is less important, but it's not surprising to see the popularity of video skyrocket.

What's new is Google's shift to mixed search results, offering video content above standard web pages. This has led companies to prioritize video production to make their search easier and offer more effective, shareable content.

In addition, the use of video will create a memorable user experience. In a few seconds, a video will reveal your brand's personality and immerse your visitors in your universe.

Since the average attention span of your users is very short, about 7 or 8 seconds, that's the time you have to capture the attention of your visitors. Sites that include a video in the background see their conversion rate increase by 15%. If your visitors stay longer on your site, it will reduce the bounce rate, which also helps improve your SEO.

Along the same lines as the previous point, we have seen a rise in custom illustrations on the web. Although the "flat design" style is still very present in these illustrations, we notice a great use of organic and fluid forms.

So this concludes our list of predictions for 2019. While we can imagine some of what's in store for 2019, we can't wait to see what surprises this year will bring.

Are you planning to redesign your website this year? Feel free to consult our achievements and contact our team for a free quote!