Website Design Trends to Look for in 2022

These days, designers design websites that can be viewed as works of art, interactive projects, or just plain fun. It was a throwback to an earlier time when web designers were looking for ways to demonstrate their skills or construct websites solely for amusement.

The early days of the internet appear to be returning to prominence. It all adds up. While fashion has taken inspiration from decades past, it has also drawn substantially from the late 1990s and early 2000s. When the internet was still in its infancy, many of us would spend hours at home searching the web, looking for something entertaining or amusing.

Web trends are emulating the look and feel of the ’80s and ’90s. Rather than relying just on photographs, designers discover new ways to express themselves. Designing using fonts, grids, and straightforward navigation is the focus here. More recent sites are less likely to look dated when they employ muted colors, refined textures, and serif fonts.

Techniques used in modern web design include increased interactivity, animations, and visual effects like glass morphism and grain. These techniques also contribute to the field of web design’s forward progression into the future. Designers are using no-code solutions to speed up and simplify the process.

The following are some web design trends that we expect to impact the New Year significantly.

1. Enjoyable mini-websites

Building a website that makes people laugh is always a blast. While you’re working on your project, have fun!

At Pixar, animators were allowed to develop a short film for every movie they made. It was a moment for animators to let their hair down without the pressure of making feature films with these shorts. They also developed many innovative techniques, which pushed the field of animation in a new direction. With websites, web developers are discovering the same.

Inside Out and Soul was inspired by Pixar’s short film Day & Night, released in 2010.

When working on a fun mini-site, designers don’t have to worry about going overboard with their design efforts because they aren’t creating it for a paying client. Building for the sake of building can be a terrific approach to breaking out of a creative rut.

It is possible to experiment in various ways, such as by creating a purposefully fun user experience (UX) or by purposely challenging users’ expectations. Add a dose of fun to the site’s navigation, menus, interactions, and copy and pictures. Be subtle, but don’t go overboard. As long as you can fool them into thinking it’s a serious website, they’ll believe you. Make your website unique by making it work in unexpected ways. Using an Easter-egg marketing site for a business purpose can succeed if done correctly.

Mini-site/enterprise Guns 2 Swords is a recreation of the ’80s D&D experience, with some flavoring from Choose Your Adventure. It was developed by MSCHF, a collective that straddles the line between gonzo artists and app developers; it was designed to be a simple service. Swords might be made from visitors’ guns by a master blacksmith. Incredible.

On the other hand, Blue Check Homes created a “serious” website that appeared to be entirely legitimate. Danielle Baskin’s Twitter joke may turn into a real mini-business selling “blue check” medallions (like those on verified Twitter accounts) for famous people’s homes.

2. Scavenger hunts on the internet

Structures of websites lend themselves extremely well to riddles and scavenger hunts. The next page in the series can only be accessed by answering a series of questions or finding clues hidden within a password-protected section.

Prompts, clues, and solutions can be concealed and revealed in various inventive ways. You can utilize your web design skills to build an enthralling puzzle in this situation.

Some possible hints:

• Answer based on a clue or a riddle
• Find a term in your main site or the scavenger hunt site
• Locate a page with a clickable element that is not readily apparent.
• Make a shape using your pen or pencil.
• Crack a code

If you want your audience to make it to the end, don’t forget to provide them with pointers or workarounds. Scavenger hunts can be used in the case of product launches, videos, or secret information.

ThreeSixtyEight’s marketing team used a treasure hunt to learn the company’s annual retreat location. While searching for information, visitors can alter the opacity of the page surrounding the cursor to create a mysterious atmosphere.

3. App-like experiences are also available

Jeremy Beyt, the co-founder of ThreeSixtyEight, thinks that smaller, experience-focused sites are the future of web design. A front-end-driven web experience that is overkill from a design aspect is a completely new way of accessing the web that hasn’t existed before; it’s an app-like experience. It’s a great opportunity, in my opinion. We’re all used to apps being dynamic, animated, and interactive. The next natural step is to extend that energy to the web and create more distinctive experiences there. “

We may be returning to a time when sites were isolated, arcane, and intriguing. However, new site-building tools, such as no-code, make creating dynamic, interaction-focused designs much easier. During its development, Three Sixty Eight even went so far as to include an entire interaction-design step.

4. Websites with a single page

Sometimes the simplest website is the one that ends up being the most successful. There has been a growing trend toward one-page websites that do away with menus and navigation in favor of a simple scroll. It is best to utilize a one-page website for more specialized themes, such as a portfolio or a single concept.

You get the impression of holding a flyer or reading a poster when you visit these websites. Type in what you’re looking for in the search field, and you’ll be able to get it right away.

Jordan Hughes developed Indi Harris’s website, which serves as her digital CV. It doesn’t draw attention away from its subject. A casual observer is more inclined to read the complete CV because the information they require is readily available upfront.

The portfolio site of Joshua Kaplan is more complicated but equally effective. There is no background, large graphics, or movement to distract the spectator. His site has a retro-web vibe to it, thanks to the utilization of the linework and a throwback copyright sign logo.

5. Sites that have a deep connection to their surroundings

If anything, certain websites seem to be getting a stronger feeling of location as we all try to make up for the time we’ve lost from traveling. On homepages and in the “about” section, photos of the places where the authors dwell are being used to draw attention to those cities, villages, and natural areas.

When surfing the web, it’s easy to lose track of where you’re going or who’s running the site you’re on. Incorporating a message such as “crafted with love in…” or including a photo of a beloved local landmark helps visitors imagine where you are and establishes a little real-world connection for them. It’s a good thing we’ve been traveling less since it’s easy to forget that the internet allows us to interact with people worldwide.

Even though it has nothing to do with her profession, Grace Potter’s home page features a stunning image of the water. New Zealand roots are visible in this shot, which serves as a gateway to her world.

Conclusion

There you have it: a few cutting-edge and unusual Web design trends for 2022.

This year, designers are more likely to use a unique approach to web design that keeps accessibility and user-friendliness in mind while still giving visitors a distinctive and meaningful experience.To better engage visitors and improve their user experience, we may expect to see more inventive and experimental design ideas in 2022.

What are your favorite upcoming web design trends for 2022? Also, let us know if you see any other web design trends that we could include in the comments section. Don’t forget to spread the word, too.