What trends in web design will mark 2022? This article compiles the techniques and visual styles that will help you create a modern and attractive website this year.
Web page design trends
The design has come a long way in recent decades. We face a highly competitive scenario in which users spend more and more time online. Designers are challenged not only to provide a good browsing experience but also to connect emotionally with people.
To do this, they are pushing the standard limits of creation, incorporating new techniques, such as everyday interactions, while updating techniques that have been present in web design for some time, such as the use of gradients.
Thus, in the web design trends of 2022, a retro air can be seen, present in creative ways of using fonts and the orientation towards simple navigation. But, at the same time, we can see how web design is being modernized with the incorporation of techniques such as new interactions and visual effects, such as glasmorphism and the use of grain, for example, in gradients.
Let’s take a closer look at our pick of the top web design trends set to dominate website building in 2022.
Eight web design trends that will mark 2022
Next, we review the trends in web design that will have a significant impact in 2022 through actual examples of websites. We will see the particularities of each of them, what we can achieve by using them, and tips to use them correctly. Without further delay, let’s take a look at the web design trends for 2022 :
1. Custom cursors
We are very used to using the traditional white pointer as a cursor. But this year, some designers are choosing to innovate, and we are seeing more and more web pages featuring custom cursors.
Usually, the cursors are displayed “naked”, without much design. However, they present a unique and differentiated aspect on each website with this trend. The use of custom cursors thus represents a further step towards personalizing a website.
There are many options when it comes to customizing the cursor’s appearance. In recent times, we see larger cursors and new shapes, such as circles. Of course, when carrying out this customization, we must take into account the design of the site (it becomes one more design element), the activity and sector of the company, and the message and the sensations that we want to convey to users.
In addition to the cursor’s appearance, it is also gaining popularity to customize its behaviour when interacting with other elements on the web, for example, by changing its appearance (size, colour or way in which it is displayed).
For example, in the web that we see in the image, we find an original hoop-shaped cursor, which interacts when hovering over the pictures, moving them and revealing a text.
Also Read: Web Development Trends 2022
2. Grainy gradients
Gradients have been popular in web design for a long time, and it doesn’t seem that they will stop being so soon. Although 2022 brings some news regarding your employment. One of the main trends in web design this year is using gradients with grain. This produces an entirely new effect, adds texture and provides a more natural look to our website.
Grainy gradients can be used on the entire web page or sections. Likewise, they can be used as a background or inside objects, such as illustrations, icons or fonts. Incorporating gradients within large typefaces or fills for illustrations or icons will undoubtedly be very popular this year.
3. Glasmorphism
Glasmorphism of the ” frosted glass” effect makes some elements behave visually like glass, combining transparency, blur and movement. It confers a 3D effect and gives a sense of space and depth to a website using different transparencies.
This effect helps to make elements stand out and ensure their readability. Something beneficial if we want to add colour to different parts of a page. It is a versatile technique that can be used in images and fields such as forms, conveying professionalism and confidence. Undoubtedly, one of the web design trends that we will find in 2022.
4. 3D elements
The use of 3D elements in web design is an upward trend, which will continue to grow in 2022. Using 3D in objects such as illustrations or animations is becoming more popular and accessible, thanks to the appearance of 3D resource banks, which have extended their use.
3D conveys a modern, digital look and helps differentiate your brand. Of course, it requires professionalism, and its potential will always be more significant if we use our unique resources. We find 3D in very diverse elements, such as transparent texts, graphics and videos.
5. Dark mode
The design tends to be more and more interactive, offering users a multitude of options to personalize the web. And the dark mode is one of the alternatives that is growing the most, making it one of the trends in web design that will mark 2022.
On the one hand, dark mode is gaining popularity to provide a better experience. Many users choose to use dark mode in their applications and websites because it can reduce eye strain and save battery life on OLED screens.
Likewise, working with dark colour schemes can be interesting for aesthetic reasons, convey specific emotions, or link the design with the brand itself. In addition, the dark mode offers exciting possibilities to highlight the content.
6. One page
Single page websites, organized into sections with a top menu with anchor links, are gaining popularity. In this way, they are pages where the scroll replaces the in-depth navigation.
They are an exciting option for projects focused on a single idea and portfolios. They work great to focus users’ attention by displaying all information in one place, reducing distractions from browsing or searching multiple pages.
Also Read: What Is Web 3.0? Everything You Need To Know In 2022
7. Interactive and horizontal scroll
The scroll is gaining weight in web design. On the one hand, more and more pages incorporate animations or effects when scrolling to be more attractive to users.
On the other hand, horizontal scrolling on web pages is becoming popular. Thus, numerous pages appear in which new content is displayed from left to right instead of from top to bottom when you scroll with the mouse.
It is an exciting technique to work on storytelling on our websites, which fits nicely in events and commercial approaches. For example, it is interesting to explain processes attractively.
Combining the conventional scroll with the horizontal and animations and effects can give exciting results if you work correctly. In the image, we see an example of a website that combines interactive and horizontal scrolling
8. Giant typefaces
The use of giant fonts is another of the trends in web design for 2022. It is a powerful and versatile technique that brings freshness to the plans. We are finding large bold fonts (also serif) on many pages.
Of course, typography will take on a dominant role this year. Added to this trend is the use of large titles as the central element in the hero, instead of images, and experimentation with fonts (outlines, colours, fills, shapes…) and the appearance of interactive fonts, which they transform with the interaction of the mouse.
How to design a website in 2022?
Web design continues to evolve for yet another year, combining retro elements with innovative ones that favour interaction and personalization. Design trends will guide us when making our web page designs during 2022, and in this article, we have selected the ones that we believe will have the most significant influence this year. However, we cannot forget that opting for some techniques or others will always depend on the project’s specific needs.