As we approach the final month of 2022, plenty of new website design ideas and trends are still emerging. The evolution over the year has been exciting and designed to help website designers and developers create more engagement and interactivity while pushing the envelope. These trends are no exception.
Here’s what design is all about this month.
1. Video Game Inspiration
That space where reality and virtual reality merge is very popular when it comes to website design. Design elements and themes are trending with a virtual video game style that looks interactive, realistic and highly imaginative.
These websites can have different looks and themes but they have some key features in common:
- Many animations
- Interactive elements, real or perceived
- A quick motion that puts the user in the scene
- “Unreal elements” such as the bat-skull for Mythical Games
- Dark color schemes
- They often lack traditional navigation or calls to action so the “game” is full screen
- Guide text or design features to help you move through interactions
Each of these examples takes a similar but different approach to their video game-inspired design styles.
Adidas uses a trio of flying people to interest you in their animation studio’s posts. The view is what makes you feel part of the action, but traditional design elements, like navigation, help you know what to do next.
Mutant Stand looks like an old school video game and moves between a home screen with navigational elements to more of an in-game experience. The motion creates an interactive feeling even before you enter the design.
Mythical Games is an actual gaming website design, so you’d expect video game inspiration here. Interestingly enough, this site takes the most subtle approach, although the fantasy design elements are strong here.
2. Difficult Typography
Website design trends can sometimes be difficult to explain. Such is the case with this one, where designers are experimenting with very difficult typography styles. A difficult thing about the text in these projects is readability.
Difficult typography is somewhat subjective but is accentuated by designs with lots of words. Mobile design presents a readability challenge, especially when these fonts are smaller and can present even greater readability issues.
There are many different font styles and combinations that can create legibility challenges. Some of the most common in website design include:
- Condensed or thin fonts
- Unusual character styles or strokes
- Modern or thick serifs
- Old world styles
- Scripts or cursive styles
This is all, however, somewhat in the eye of the beholder. While all of these examples create some reading challenges, the designs are still interesting and visually sound. Making these font choices is a personal choice, but you should pay attention to your audience base and website analytics to make sure it works for you.
This is where you’ll likely see a lot of this trend outside of website design. Note the typefaces used for World Cup broadcasts. Difficult typefaces are paired for each element of the text on the screen.
Kakeru Yagou uses an interesting modern serif with a bit of a tilted style. As a logo, typography works well. It is when there is a lot to read that the challenge comes into play.
Abymes Numerique uses a condensed typeface in an all caps style. Either of these options alone may create less readability concerns than when they are paired.
Think Dance uses a very interesting but difficult font for both keywords on its website. They do a great job of using two words and pairing them with options that are easy to read everywhere else. But it still takes a moment to think about the words and understand them, so you can argue about the effectiveness of the font choice.
3. Avatars
Already popular on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Facebook, avatars are having quite a moment in website design as well. The big difference is that website avatars are not just cartoon ones, they can include full body designs and animated effects.
Avatars can have a very personal look and feel, for example when used for portfolio websites or when they are more character-oriented. Both are a great way to use faces and incorporate a personal element when you don’t have the right photography for the job or when you want more of an element of whimsy in the design.
Simona Nikolova uses an oversized avatar for her portfolio site. She pairs it with her name to create a connection with users, and the style also reflects her creativity. An avatar is a good way to “show yourself” in a portfolio without the privacy concerns that can come with an actual photo.
Byte Trading uses “lego-style” avatars to convey interest enough for you to “enter” the website. Each avatar moves and changes clothes to prepare you to enter the website for the crypto market. Avatars are a popular choice for crypto and NFT websites.
Pomelo Paradigm uses three-dimensional avatars to create scenes on its website. These created characters help explain what the company does and how people should interact with the design. They look very human, and you almost miss that they are not actual photos.
Conclusion
As we head into a new year, what website design trends are you most excited about? Are you planning to try new things with projects in the new year? I hope these trends give you some ideas and get you started on that inspiration for 2023.
