4 Web Design Trends You Should Adopt by 2012

admin on Jul 14th 2011 with No comments

It’s an all too familiar pattern – trends come; trends go; and the only constant is change. The online world is defined to quick movements. Understanding what the days will bring is therefore deemed impossible. Design is too fickle, it’s believed. Its future can’t be predicted, and 2011 seems to be just another sufferer of fate.

That fate is already being determined, however.

New trends are arriving – and heralding a return of online customer service and support. The traditional formats are being replaced and their faults are being undone. It’s to instead be a year of bold lines, modern layouts and easy style.

And the consequence is hope for 2012.

Consider these design patterns for all pages:

1. Typographical Changes

It was once a collection of sterile lines, a reliance on Roman lettering. Fonts were dull in their presentations and lacked the serif flairs and coloring. All sites were shaped to standard choices; and there were no variations to see. The year 2011 is challenging this, however.

Typography is changing. Dynamic choices are slowly finding their way to pages: line heights are being rearranged and shading has deepened. Designers are becoming aware of the true potential of their choices (and what impacts can be wrought by simply providing stronger fonts).

2. Singular Layouts

A messy meet of pages and a clutter of information: Sites were once proof of awkward choices. Facts were stuffed together, meant to provide quick access but instead only causing confusion. There was no satisfaction. There was instead chaos.

Tis year seeks to rectify this, though. Singular layouts are appearing now – these strip down the content, offering only the necessities. All other add-ons, graphics and effects are taken away. And it’s a vital online customer service: providing the wanted ease.

3. Illustrated Points

Photographs are losing their luster. Graphics no longer appeal. The notion of backgrounds has too long been confined to bland methods – losing all personality of a site by creating a tone that is utterly unoriginal. A new trend is beginning to change this, however.

Designers are starting to rely on illustrations. These rough lines and brushstrokes allow each page to be unique, rather than simply pasting a picture into the source code. Hand-drawn efforts are appreciated by guests and can represent a creator’s natural talent.

4. Social Connections

Networking is an all too essential word. The world is connected by virtuality. Users seek to trade facts with ease and sites are beginning to understand the importance of offering that opportunity. Social network add-ons are becoming one of the most popular trends available. These applications allow users to instantly post information to their accounts (in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more). This generates convenience and ensures that content isn’t forgotten. And the unobtrusive nature of these add-ons allows each page to remain simple – without suffering from disorganization or distraction.

This year is proving itself to be the year of modernism. Its offering of bold details, personalized pages and interactive features enables all experiences to be worthy. And the days to come will show a reliance on quality and set a high expectation for 2012.

Sonia Mansfield is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Design Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company specializing in brochure printing. You can follow PsPrint on Twitter @PsPrint.