The Web design community never gets tired of discussing previous, current and future trends… JUST Creative even posted a 2014 web design trends article a few months ago. But trends change like pictures in fashion magazines, so let’s take another look with a different approach.
Trends we would like to see LESS of:
Senseless scrolling
Users scroll with particular purpose – to see what’s next on your site. They scroll for information. However, sometimes web developers are taken away by unbelievable scrolling effects, so the process losses its practical sense or even slows down the user, which is inadmissible in today’s realities when everything is focused around quick content consumption.
Always responsive
The general tendency to be entirely responsive across all mobile, tablet and desktop devices. We are not trying to convince you that website responsiveness is a dreck, on the contrary, it is a must have for most of the modern sites. Still, there always exist several exceptions from any common rule. Many great websites are not responsive because they simply don’t need the feature.
Does your website have massive background images, heavy, dynamic content, HTML5 animations, and complicated navigation bars? Then it may be better to redirect your users to the mobile version, save their time and efforts, don’t spoil their onsite experience with tardiness and non-perfect display. Here is more info on how to choose if you have a separate mobile site or a responsive site.
Browser compatibility
Your website doesn’t need to work in all browser versions (IE, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Android and so on). To find out what browser your clients prefer is easy – just check Google analytics report and you’ll have the idea. Why is it important? You’ll save an extra dollar on website development and have more time to focus elsewhere.
Flash websites and intros
They’re being on deathbed for a couple of years already and we sincerely hope that 2014 will let them RIP at last.
Captcha forms
We hope that 2014 will become the year when we stop proving the obvious – we are not bots, but just human beings surfing the web.
Editor’s note: Yes, this site uses a Captcha – other spam plugins have fallen short. Open to suggestions!
Forms with labels inside the text boxes
What is the goal of a form field? To make the users fill it with their information. So why do you do this instead of them? You have the space outside the box to explain what you are waiting for, so don’t interrupt the conversation and put superfluous barriers between people and their goals.
More trends we would like to see less of:
• Content carousels;
• Overly large hero images;
• Overused stock photos;
• Autoplay videos;
• Automated popups;
• Advertising sidebars;
• “Hello world” blog posts;
• Reloading pages;
• Modal windows with hidden or tiny close commands;
• Loading screens;
• Small font sizes;
• Long shadows;
• Hipster icons and logos.
Now, when we, like respectable Italians have thrown away all the things we wouldn’t need this year, it’s time to replace the vacuum with something new, fresh, out-of-the-box.