UX + Design

Design Trends 2016

Design Trends 2016

Hero background videos

They are pretty much everywhere, but who can blame them. Video backgrounds add a beautiful depth to a website, however, they can be a bit distracting if added as a second thought. A well-balanced page will leverage the visual interest of a video by giving it purpose. Invision is a great example of a video background done right. The video is beautifully integrated with the site and if you choose to watch it, it seamlessly allows you to get a closer look at their work.

Hero Video BG

Hamburger menu

Who can dislike something called a hamburger menu? Hmmmm, I guess a lot of people… but it has gained much popularity for its simplicity that users can easily recognize its function now. Since responsive web design is now a standard, allowing content to be displayed on a desktop as well as every other device is a huge advantage to using the hamburger menu.

Hamburger menu sample

Card layout

Information that's organized and summarized make it very easy to find what you are interested in. Introduced by Pinterest, this layout isn’t going anywhere. Content rich sites have been adopting this format to display all their content. It is visually appealing and user-friendly way to display information.

Google Now Card layout

Animations

Making websites user-friendly has become a standard. Animations help users recognize behaviors on a page and they are delightful to watch. Hover animations, expanding menus, and loading animations are some of the popular interaction animations used in apps and websites.

Animated Logo

Flat design

Design turned flat, and it’s here to stay. You may see a bit more life being added to this trend with attributes such as:

  • Interesting typography - Simplicity allows the usage of handwritten and designer typography.
  • Vibrant colors - The web shouldn’t be boring just because it’s flat; popular UI frameworks and templates promote beautiful rich color pallets.
  • Minimalism - Keeping things simple, beautiful, and user-friendly.
  • Giant photos - Flat design allows the usage of texture and color-rich imagery.

Flat design sample

My 2 cents.

Following trends just to follow is never a good idea. Taking advantage of a trend to best suit your users is the key. Before adopting any of these trends in 2016, make sure your design decisions are based on what value it brings to you and your users.

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