2020 Website Design Trends

Last Updated on August 17, 2022

We are wrapping up the year and you can’t help but ask- what are some website design trends that will impact 2020 and beyond? Trends have a funny way of becoming the marker of time and originality. However, originality is hard to achieve when we are following the creative pathways carved out by popular trends.

So what were the latest trends and how are they holding up? Let’s take a look.

Lose the Structure- Kind of…

Web designers love a good grid structure. But, some of the best design systems emerge when you break the rules. Knowing how you can benefit from a regimented structure and then how to reformat your grid to work in new and innovative ways can allow for a fresh take on website design. Paneled or blocky approaches can be derailed with overlapping imagery, content, and broken barriers. 

This can also be used to call attention to certain areas of content, creating new focal points. Check out this article to get more information about the loss of structure trend.

Capitalizing on Illustration Styles

Stock imagery gets a bad rap these days. Of course, it has its perks from an ease of use standpoint. The downside is that users have seen it all before. Somewhere along the line, it has gotten impersonal, generic, unimaginative, and truth be told — a little boring.

This is where illustration comes into play. There are a million different ways to stylize illustration — outlines, full color, flat graphics, 3d design, etc. Each style has a different tone and voice that can work with the style of writing. Illustration allows for more enhanced personality throughout your website. Plus, the impossible becomes possible. With illustration, any scenario you dream up can be made into an image without having to worry about finding the correct stock photo.

Bring on the Big Type

Eye-catching imagery can be attention-grabbing. But, typography has a bold standout way of addressing the audience. We are no longer afraid of using exaggerated type sizes. Especially when it comes to the top part of your home page (we call this the hero). Bring large text in to get your message across, with or without the aid of imagery.

The bigger, the better. For titles, that is. Large title copy can help break up space throughout the site. Body text is still legible without being too understated.

Wild Wild Colors

The rise of “brutalism” in the past few years brought harsh and colorless designs. It is not surprising that the latest design trend is pushing the boundaries of color palettes. Bright colors and unconventional pairings are breathing new life into websites of every variety. This is yet another way to bring personality into your digital brand and make a statement.  

As we all know that trends fluctuate. They come and go. Looking to the future we can only expect the design limits to be pushed again and again.  At what point do we drop the extreme and switch directions? Only time will tell.

Do these website design trends have you itching for a site redesign? Let’s talk about what we can do to keep your website fresh and ahead of the curve. Contact us for more details on how you can get your project started.