What Makes a Good Website Design in 2022?
People, research has shown, tend to form a first impression of those they meet before they ever have a chance to utter a word. Many take less than a second to decide whether someone is attractive and trustworthy.
Guess what?
That exact internal mechanism carries over to your business. When visitors come to your website, they’ll subconsciously rate how trustworthy and competent you are and how compatible you are with their values within seconds.
Web design makes or breaks that first impression. However, as a visitor continues to explore your website, the user experience solidifies that initial feeling.
You want to get it right on both counts, and one of the best ways to inspire confidence is by staying relevant. Does your business website need an overhaul? Have a look at the key design trends, features, and other things to consider if you’re considering whether your website is ready for 2022.
Personalised Colour Trends
You already know that garish, vivid colour schemes are “out”, and muted, cool, colours have been dominating modern web design for some time already. However, moving into the new year, the psychology of colour is likely to play an increasingly important role in business web design.
Red can strategically invoke excitement, while yellow and orange tones have been found to make people feel cheerful and open. Blue and grey tones are often used to inspire trust, making them a top web design choice for financial institutions. Green can make people feel relaxed and also represents growth.
What do you want your website to say about your business? In 2022, cyan tones are set to become some of the most popular — but at the same time, increasing numbers of businesses are choosing to use colour to represent their core values.
Minimalism
The growing number of mobile users has primarily inspired the trend towards more minimalist web design. Fewer “busy” features, more whitespace, and shorter paragraphs all help to make the user experience more mobile-friendly.
In 2022, web designers are no longer afraid of empty space. The trend toward less cluttered, cleaner, web pages is not simply aesthetic, either. Purposeful empty space can be used to draw customers to the places where you truly want them, like your call to action. Of course, that “whitespace” doesn’t have to be white, and many websites are experimenting with dark themes that are easier on the eye.
As talented web designers worldwide continue to take minimalism to the next level, it’s becoming clear that minimalist web design doesn’t have to be boring.
Funky, Bold, Fonts
As images are being used more sparingly, the emphasis on funky, bold, and artistic fonts in 2022 are rising. Some of this playful or creative lettering even has interactive features, shifting or morphing as visitors scroll over them.
The increased attention web designers are paying to typography in no way means that images and multimedia features are on their way out. However, in keeping with the trend towards minimalism, web pages are now more intentional about where they are placed.
Abstract Illustrations and Geometric Shapes
Our web designers in Newcastle are already playing with abstract designs and repeating geometric shapes to create stunning, stylised web pages, and this trend is set to continue in 2022. Organic, flowing shapes that make users feel like they connect with the natural world are an especially trendy choice. These artistic web pages are the perfect counter-weight to the cartoon styles that have been popular in recent years.
Asymmetrical Grids
Grid designs have ruled some corners of the web for some time now, and as they become compatible with all browsers, grids will continue to explode in popularity. Because grid designs allow web designers to pack an amazing variety of features into a small space while maintaining a visually-pleasing aesthetic, they are often perfect for websites that demand optimal functionality.
Grid designs no longer have to be symmetrical, though! You can expect to see more and more asymmetry as we move into 2022, adding a hint of playfulness to any web design.
Custom Images and Illustrations
You might have been able to get away with using stock illustrations and images as recently as a few years ago, but by now, users have grown tired of them. Just like you no longer want to use a web design template to create a professional website, modern internet users love to see bespoke images and illustrations that perfectly capture the core of your mission.
A Smoother User Experience
All the up-and-coming web design trends and features are inspired by one key goal — improving user experience and making websites easier to navigate across all browsers. In 2022, netizens aren’t content with functional websites anymore. They expect a smooth experience that allows them to find whatever they want in a few easy clicks. Modern users also, on the other hand, value creativity.
What makes a good website design in 2022, you wonder?
The “secret”, it turns out, was hiding in plain sight. Modern internet users want websites that:
- Load so quickly they don’t even notice.
- Are easy to navigate on any browser and mobile-friendly.
- Are clean and not filled with unnecessary clutter. Every aspect of a website’s design should be intentional.
- Are highly skimmable, allowing visitors to find the content they are looking for immediately.
- Are packed with accessibility features.
- Seamlessly integrate multimedia content.
- Embrace creativity and use it to channel their uniqueness.
A good website in 2022 is one that looks amazing, but without being intrusive, and one that is so intuitive to use that visitors don’t have to think as they scroll. A challenge? Absolutely, but a good one! Your website is your digital home. What do you want to tell the guests who walk through your door? When a qualified and creative web design team has your back, that is ultimately entirely up to you.
