Did you notice something different? Yes! Blue Sun Studio got a new coat of paint. This was a long time coming, we knew we needed to clarify our message and put a lot of thought into exactly how we were going to do that. We had quite the eye-opener when after 7 years of being in business, people still didn’t know what we did. Not good for a design company.
That’s the problem when you try to be all the things to all the people. Your message gets lost and pretty soon even you’re wondering exactly what it is you do.
What better way to celebrate the new design than with a post about this year’s website trends. We’ve incorporated many of them here, feel free to explore and tell us what you think.
9 Trends for 2017
- Return of the King: Focus on content is making a comeback. Content is, and always shall be, king. Content keeps your site fresh and visitors returning to see what’s new. Content is also a way for you to connect and build relationships with potential clients.
- The Bold and the Beautiful: Type that stands out, in a good way. Google Fonts gives designers more flexibility with fonts than ever before. Before we were restricted to the basic fonts on every computer. If a visitor didn’t have that fancy script you love so much, they had no way of seeing your vision exactly how you did. Google Fonts provides the code for hundreds of different fonts that you add right into your theme’s CSS file. We have an example here on our site with the scripty, handwritten font you see in the sidebar and on the home page. An added bonus is you can download and install these fonts for FREE on your computer to use when creating marketing materials for your brand, keeping everything consistent across the board.
- SVGs the New Kid in Town: Move over traditional image files like .jpg, .png, and .gif, SVG (scalable vector graphics) are joining the party. What does this mean? SVGs are resolution independent, or in layman’s terms, no matter how big you make it, it looks great on any screen. Whether your site is viewed on a monster 42 inch hi-def monitor or a compact mobile device, that image will retain its integrity.
- Clear and Present Presentation: Last year there was a strong movement toward minimalism in design. We saw more use of white space and less clutter. That trend continues as designers refine what it means to have a crisp, clean site.
- More Cowbell…um…Color!: With all that white space going on it’s easy to get lost in a sea of “meh”. What better solution than to guide your visitors through your site with pops of color. Bright tones of pink and orange like a tropical sunset, or vibrant hues of blue and purple with a dash of green are all the rage. Used correctly and in the right amounts, they look spectacular.
- Animation Domination: Once upon a time, on an internet far, far away, animated .gifs were everywhere. So much so, they eventually became the hallmark of an outdated (and annoying) site. Animation has evolved since then and there are better ways to use it. Today, animations are used more thoughtfully, with branding and enhanced messaging at the forefront of their creation.
- Say Goodbye to Boring Boxes: Advances in CSS (the file that carries the code to make your site pretty) means more flexible and interesting page layouts. Get ready to see overlapping elements and unconventional layouts you never thought possible before.
- Content is King, But Conversation is Queen: More and more people are moving the conversations off of social networks and reviving their comment sections on their blogs. I spoke about this a couple years ago in What If Facebook Went Poof?
- Rage Against Alternative Facts: Lastly, if this past year taught us anything, it’s be responsible for the content you share. I know this will come as a shock, but not everything on the internet is true *gasp*. Be part of the solution and don’t contribute to the problem, stay mindful of what you post and share. Do your research, check your sources. Earning your readership’s trust starts with you. Keep them coming back for more with credibility and integrity.
This is only a handful of the upcoming and continuing trends. Go take a look at your own website and see how it stacks up. Are you good, or will 2017 be the year you give your site a makeover? If it’s the latter, contact us for a free consultation, we’d love to help you.
Awesome post! SVGs are certainly a result of the increase in importance of responsive web design. Thanks for sharing!
They certainly are. Thanks for stopping by, Heather!