Two out of three Internet users prefer to consume beautifully designed content, as found in research conducted by Blog Red. Digital Appel, meanwhile, reports that 75% of people form their opinion of a website based on its appearance. The boom in ubiquitous connectivity and online shopping mean that businesses should stop seeing artistry in web design as a ‘plus’. Rather, beautiful visuals are a way to keep audiences engrossed – and to keep them coming back for more – which is especially important if you are selling or marketing your products or services online. These are a few trends in artistic web design that you can easily incorporate into your own site, even if you have never taken brush to canvas in your life.
Micro-Interactions in Web Design
Micro-interactions (think butterflies floating around an outfit on a fashion website, the ‘follow’ button color change on Twitter, or a small communication telling users what will happen if they perform a specific swipe action) are tin moments built into apps or websites to boost wellbeing. They can include swiping actions to move from page to page on a website, small animations to highlight a product or service, and calls to action that encourage users to interact with your site in a desired way. Micro-interactions can involve sound as well as animation. Thus, they can involve a simple ‘ping’ when you take an action. You will need to be familiar with coding to include micro-interactions in your design. The tools you will need include Mobile: Xcode, Android Studio; Invision; and Principle (the latter is suitable for detailed, complex micro-interactions).
Glitches for ‘On-the-Edge’ Design
Glitches can either comprise ‘broken’ movements in animations, or a ‘break’ in the usual appearance of an image. These lend websites a modern, rebellious feel which can be particularly well suited to some industries (think motoring, tech, web design itself, etc.). As stated by Presto Web Design, a website design Buffalo firm, audiences are becoming increasingly pickier when it comes to web design, opting for more dynamic, arty sites that capture their imagination and curiosity.
Glitches can fulfill this function and best of all, they can be incorporated into even into the simplest web templates or into a WordPress blog – so you don’t need to be an expert to use this effect. Simply alter chosen static images first, then upload. Ideal apps for this purpose include GlitchFX, Hyperspective, and Glitch Wizard. Many of these apps also create animations, turning images into GIFs. If you have the time to make glitched videos, download Glitch Video Effects. This app allows you to glitch events in real time, so you can see what the final product will look like before you begin recording.
Playing with Typography
Unique, creative typography is no longer the exclusive realm of art and design blogs. Today, it is all about maxi typography, in which words are split into multiple lines. Letters move, break up, and reconfigure. Fonts are also becoming thicker, with heavy lettering seen on printed and online marketing material alike. Word spirals, logo-like titles, and art drawn around type fonts are making clear that artists have as big a role as coders and graphic designers in the new millennium.
Micro interactions, glitches, and arty fonts are just a few tools creators can use for a more dynamic, upbeat website. There are many free apps that enable designers to create a plethora of effects – everything from spiraling fonts to GIF animations. The key to getting the balance right is to introduce a touch of vibrancy while ensuring that your site remains crystal clear and easy to use.