Design trends for 2023 I’ve listed below focus less on what’s popular now. Rather this list refers to trends that can that can improve your website’s performance. Trends do come and go. They can date your website if they aren’t implemented correctly. Think of it like decorating a house. Come across a bathroom that hunter green and cranberry and you can’t help but think it hasn’t been painted since the 90’s. Some trends become classic and never date your site. Let’s review some of these design trends for 2023.
Page Speed
Okay, this doesn’t sound like a trend. But stay with me. In 2023, page speed remains an important ranking factor for both visitor’s experiences and SEO (search engine ranking). Our attention span is shorter than ever. We’ve all been there. A web page take too long to load and what happens? We give up and go to another site instead. A slow loading page can hurt your ranking. Google penalizes slow-loading websites with high bounce rates by ranking them lower in search results. It’s important to make sure your site is as fast as possible.
Many of us look at websites on our phone. How frustrating is it staring at a blank page?!
Luckily, there are ways to improve your website’s page speed. One of the major elements that slow down a website is images. I’m not suggesting eliminating images. On the contrary, optimize your images by reducing their file size without compromising quality. Accomplish this by keeping your images low resolution and under 2000 pixels. By minifying your HTML, CSS and JavaScript files you reduce the amount of code that needs to be loaded. This can be accomplished with plugins if you have a CMS-based site. You may also want to consider working with a designer that can handle it for you.
Minimalism
Even websites can get cluttered. I’ve seen sites that have so much to offer and talk about everything is in bold and there are images all vying for your attention. Review your site to ensure that it focuses the user’s attention on your most important content. I’m a strong believer that white space is an important element in any design for this reason. Using simple fonts that are easy to read also help improve the user’s experience. Handwritten or curly fonts should be used sparingly. Make sure no one struggles to figure out if the letter is a “M” or an “N”.
Another way to “declutter” your website is to make sure every image serves a purpose. Keeping a simple color palette also goes a long way to making a site feel open, clean and modern.
They say less is more, and we expect that to be true in web design as we head into 2023. Minimalist websites are easy to navigate and use. Additionally, these websites load faster and use less data. As mentioned above, is important for both SEO and user experience.
Video
From social media marketing to web design, video will be a huge digital marketing trend for 2023. In fact, it’s expected that 82% of all internet traffic will be video by 2023. That’s because video is an engaging, visually interesting and highly shareable content format that can help you reach a wider audience.
Fortunately, the versatility of video means there’s a format that will work with nearly any website design. From video backgrounds to product demonstrations and glimpses into your company culture, there are endless possibilities for how you can use video to improve your website and connect with your target audience. Just be sure that your video is optimized for both SEO and user experience – no one wants to wait forever for a video to load!
Bold Typography
Website design might be getting simpler in 2023, but that doesn’t mean that fonts can’t get bolder. I have more fonts that I could possibly ever use. Am I always looking for more? Of course! Choosing fonts is probably one of my favorite design tasks. Each is unique and has it’s own feel.
The right font can help your website stand out from the rest and make a great first impression. When using a bold font be sure to balance it with a sans-serif font to maintain a stylish look.
Illustrations
Every business wants their website to be unique, and one way to achieve that is through the use of illustrations. Unlike stock photos, which can be easily found and used by anyone, illustrations are custom-made images that can help your website stand out against your competitors. Additionally, they can be used to add personality and playfulness to your website’s design.
Another impactful way to utilize custom illustrations in your website’s design is to use them for product demonstrations. This can be especially helpful if you have a complex product or service that would be difficult to explain using text and photos alone. No matter how you choose to use them, illustrations are a great way to add some visual interest to your website and make it more memorable for your visitors.
Storytelling
When I speak with clients I find myself saying that your website should tell a story. Many people are looking for more than just a product or service. They are looking for an experience. Telling your story will give visitors this experience. A story enables your visitors feel emotionally connected to you. Moreover, they’ll be invested in what you have to offer.
When creating your story, be sure to focus on the emotional journey of your customer. Don’t limit yourself to listing off the features of your products or services. Use visuals that complement your story and help bring it to life. Images, videos, and infographics can all be used to great effect in website storytelling.
In conclusion, it is vital to understand the needs and wants of your target audience. By keeping up with latest trends and technologies, you can ensure that your website is providing your visitors with the best possible experience. 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual, so presenting your data visually makes it more likely to be processed and remembered.
Featured image:Photo by Hayley Mae on Unsplash