Minimal styles with large bold text are the most trending website design element in 2023 so far. There are many projects out there that are text heavy with little decoration or other images. You’ll see a lot of that here, with a few other goodies mixed in.
Here’s what design is all about this month.
1. White On Black
Black and white styles are timeless classics. Designers use this simple (less) duo because it’s simple, elegant, and works with almost any material. What we’re seeing right now is a move to create a design aesthetic that features a bold white sans serif font on a stark black background.
The result is a must-read design. The words are often so brief and concise that you can only help to get the message the design is trying to convey.
Each of these examples takes a similar but different approach to this design trend.
Bond Agency has more words than the other options, with a little more description of who and what they are. There is also a hint of animation that will help keep you on the design long enough to read the words and build interest.
Savage Jerky goes big and bold with its brand name and little else. The shop button appears in a white highlight. This design is done to get your interest and facilitate purchase, especially for those who already know the brand.
We Are Heavy goes super simple with three capital letters and some smaller accent type. It is so bare that it probably piques your interest. Then there’s the fun little smiley face at the bottom of the page, begging you to click and learn more. It pops off the screen because it’s the only color other than the matching mouse pointer.
2. Orange Accents
Orange is not a color we often talk about in design. The connections to the pigment can be a little fragmented, but as these examples show, it can make a great flavor color.
As a slightly less intense option than red – a popular taste color – orange feels a little less intimidating.
There are many variations, from a traditional orange to something more peachy to a rust hue. The great thing is that, for the most part, oranges will stand out against light or dark colored backgrounds and can be an excellent container for text elements.
Because this color is not commonly used, it is also an instant attention grabber.
Ventriloc uses orange against a brown-maroon background to bring focus and attention to on-screen keywords, buttons and navigation elements. Below the scroll, orange continues as the main accent color, even when the primary colors change, helping to carry the visual theme.
Briteweb uses a simple orange geometric shape to highlight branding and add interest to a page that would otherwise be mostly a video reel. The shape helps draw the eye from the branding/logo to the headline on the home page header. Color continues below the scroll bar for clickable elements.
Hackney Locksmiths use orange as their main brand color but more as a quantity for their website design. This approach has a classic feel and an easy-to-read effect. The orange flag at the top of the screen connects the company to the logo if you don’t know them or see their particular color choice in a real-world environment.
3. Text Only Home Pages
This trend takes a lot and is reminiscent of the first collection of examples in this post. Text-only homepages are everywhere. What’s different here is that there is no color requirement and the typography styles are kind of all over the place.
These designs are created in a special effort to read them. You have to think about the words and how the message relates to you. And if it’s not relevant, you’re less likely to scroll or engage with the design.
So this is a risky choice, but one that could pay off with the right audience.
The Design Threads report home page provides a simple introduction to the report and what it contains. Note that even the call to action – “keep scrolling” – is text based. The overall design is very text-heavy, although there are a few pops of color and deeper artwork in the report (which is also relevant reading for designers).
Arazzi Contemporanei uses a text design scheme that is almost hard to read. Words overlap other words – note the page-down navigation – and there’s a green highlight that will help or hurt readability (you choose). It’s one of those trendy designs where you get stuck in “is this cool?” or “do I hate it?”
Simple Flair is a bit like the example above but is easier to read. The home page has no design elements other than text with some emphasis in underlines and italics. Again, do you love it or hate it? It seems to be a very thin line between the two here.
Conclusion
The one thing that all these trends have in common is the shift back towards minimalism. That’s an overall design construct that never completely goes away but regularly comes in and out of fashion. These projects continue towards a minimalist trend that brings a significant result in 2023.
