Out with the old and in the with the new. It’s a brand new year and a great time to say goodbye to some web design trends. Adapting to new technology and features is an important step in the web industry. It can be difficult to let things go, but we think it’s time to move on from outdated techniques like annoying pop-ups, stereotypical stock photos, and mobile sites without PWA’s. Marie Kondo would probably agree, it’s time to get rid of these design trends that don’t bring us joy.
It’s far too common to have a website load, and you’re immediately bombarded by a pop-up. It may be an ad, subscription request, log-in, video, or live chat. Whatever it may be, I think we’re all sick of having to go through multiple clicks to deny a message just to see the home page. The auto play videos are also a features that can lose your audience. How about when you get to reading a page’s content or blog, and mid sentence you’re caught with a pop-up? If you’re tired of losing your place in an article and want to take back control, let’s just get rid of the pop-up.
We’ve seen those standard, posed stock photos for years now. You can probably imagine an image of someone caressing a coffee mug, a boring office meeting, or a stiff handshake. Let’s try to add some life to featured photos and make content look more candid. Website visitors are less likely to take you seriously these days with those awkward stock images, and more websites are heading in a good direction by adding both polished and whimsical content. Clever animations and doodles can also really set you apart these days.
There are many mobile sites that still take their sweet time to load. Mobile versions of websites are known to have slower speeds than those viewed on a desktop, but it’s time to combat this since over half of traffic is viewed on mobile devices. (statistica.com) Thankfully, Progressive Web Apps (PWA’s) are here to combine an app and mobile experience. PWA’s run though a secure HTTP, and are 15 times faster than native mobile apps (AppInstitute) and don’t drain your battery.
When adding some new and exciting trends to your web designs this year, don’t forget remove your outdated content. It may seem difficult to move on, but better designs and features are arriving to replace any of old tendencies. Stay ahead of the curve and avoid the obsolete. If you are a UX Beginner, we hope you feel a bit more educated now.
