50+ Designers Share Their Top 3 Design Trends For 2015
Grabbing the user’s attention is crucial within the first few seconds of visiting any website.
Since attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter for the average user, website design needs to be effective enough to keep users interested.
There are so many ways to deliver content, and over the past few years we have simplified and streamlined solutions to what people want to see.
From beautiful photo-centric sites to parallax “wow” factors from movement and interactivity, the past two years have shown several ways to be bold. Some may argue that too many extra visual elements may be distracting from what’s really important. These elements may not die but become more subtle and gently factored in where it’s necessary. 2015 will go for that same bold factor, but in different ways. The user interface makes all the difference in how users would like to interact with the site. User interface design will be more simple, subtle and to the point.
With that in mind, here are the 7 top UI design trends you should watch for in 2015.
FLAT UI
Lately, user interface design has grown to be simple and straightforward. Flat design is really about letting the content speak for itself. With a flat user interface, the design consists of two layers: one top layer that houses contextual elements, and one bottom layer with a flat, solid background color. Flat UI lends itself to transition easily to any size because it’s simple and can be reshaped in a different way to still follow the same order of information. In most cases, simplicity is key.
MINIMALISM
We are going to see a lot less clutter in 2015. A minimal design demands a very limited palette, which means that every element needs to be strong on its own. Minimal sites come out to be clean and light, with lots of breathing room and purposeful use of negative space. An advantage of having a minimal design is the reduction in page weight and loading time — especially while shopping online.
CARD LAYOUT
Since designers and developers have been used to the constraints of mobile devices, having a modular layout is like a no-brainer technique in responsive design since it’s so adaptable from device to device. Look at Pinterest’s UI: every card is simplified with an image, text, and a couple actions — consolidated information to be browsed easily. This approach is one of the simplest methods for delivering lots of content. Information spread over three or four columns can easily be repositioned and reordered into just one.
TYPOGRAPHY
In addition to keeping things simple and minimal, typefaces are now more slim, subtle and sexy. Hierarchy has been defined more obviously, so there isn’t a need for bolded fonts as much anymore. Sans-serif, light fonts will become even more popular next year. Typefaces that are simple and timeless are the ones that will stand the test of time.
GHOST BUTTONS
A new development along with the minimalistic approach has been changing the look of CTAs all over the web. They are transparent and outlined with a thin stroke and usually contain light, sans-serif fonts. These are perfect on top of large background imagery — more of a hint of a button so you can still see the visuals behind. Ghost buttons are supposed to attract attention in a subtle way. This approach has been a preference over bold and obvious CTAs.
VIDEO TAKEOVER
Why read when you can watch? We’ve started to see large background imagery take over homepages and backgrounds. In 2015, video is going to take over most homepages around the web. It’s is a great way to quickly deliver content, tell a story and make an impact in a matter of seconds. People want to see a taste of what they’re looking for.
BETTER PRODUCT DISPLAYS
We are transitioning into a world where physical products are expected to come with a digital experience — for information, added value or configuration. People are going to want more than just a couple images; videos, 360-degree photos and animations all help to better inform the customer. There are much more interesting and interactive ways of showing products online.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Responsive design will easily be the norm for how websites are built. By 2016, we’ll see more designs sharing a mobile-first mentality. This means that design will be focused for a mobile device, instead of mobile design being treated as an adaptation from a desktop design. Smartphones are our main source of communication; why not base future focus off what’s in our palms and pockets? We’ll be seeing designers and developers continue to collaboratively put effort into making sites look and work better for a positive user experience.
– See more at: http://gotgroove.com/ecommerce-blog/7-top-ui-design-trends-2015-beyond/#sthash.tc1VgqHj.dpuf
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