Here at KIJO, we are unapologetic experts in website design. It’s our lifeblood; what we live and breathe every day! Website design is now an essential part of any business. That’s because the experience a user gets when visiting your site can literally mean the difference between a sale or a snub. So, web design trends are definitely something to stay on top of.
Of course, the internet and user expectations are always evolving. But, staying up to date with web design trends is essential for preventing conversion losses due to an out of date site or one that’s tricky to understand or navigate.
Read on to discover what the expert KIJO team anticipates as the most popular web design trends of 2024. Perhaps these will provide you with some future website style inspiration…
Organic shapes are a prominent web design trend we’re predicting for 2024. Our Website Service Leader, Liam Terry, thinks that organic shapes are “fluid, dynamic and have bags of versatility. I predict we’ll see them across a host of industries and business sites next year. They’re friendly and softer to look at. This makes them feel approachable and their curves and flowing lines leverage associations of comfort and relaxation. This is a positive response to stir up in users. Organic shapes offer a distinctive website design choice and can help brands stand out in a competitive landscape.”
Love it or hate it, AI is here and here to stay and we predict it’s going to play a massive part in the web design trends of 2024. KIJO’s UI/UX Designer, Danny Findon-Kent thinks that AI is “capable of enabling the creation of a highly personalised user experience due to its ability to analyse user behaviour, preferences and data. Designers, like myself, can harness this to create a more intuitive and seamless experience for target users. AI also offers the opportunity for enhanced chatbots and virtual assistants, accessibility features like voice commands and visual settings, automation of repetitive tasks and generally improving communication between users and interfaces as a whole. Artificial Inelligence can help UI stay relevant, fresh and enticing which is exciting for our future designs.”
Leading on from Artificial Intelligence, we also foresee AI generated imagery being a popular web design trend in 2024. KIJO’s Co-Founder, Jordan Thompson, says: “Finding the perfect image can sometimes be difficult and expensive. You might need to hire a photographer, a location and lighting. Perhaps you need to use stock imagery but you’re in danger of not getting the right image for your brand and someone else might have used the image… AI generated imagery has the potential to generate unique, on-brand imagery without the cost or logistics which is very attractive. With that being said, it needs to be used properly and ethically, and the quality needs to be the same as if it was an original photograph in order for this to be a consideration for businesses.”
Another web design trend we reckon will take charge in 2024 is augmented reality (AR). Our Co-Founder, Jordan Thompson, thinks that, “digital is about creating a memorable experience around a brand. Current technology dominates your attention span – it’s all about looking at a screen and doesn’t bring in the outside world. AR has the ability to blend and merge the digital world with the real one, creating immersive experiences which I think will become very popular in website designs. The power will come when this technology matures to the extent whereby the augmentation of reality is so powerful that real and digital become intertwined. Then, the interplay between the two will feel completely natural.”
Layering adds visual depth to the interface, can enhance the overall aesthetic of a site and bolster an immersive user experience. Our UI/UX Designer, Danny Findon-Kent thinks that it will be a 2024 web design trend cert. “Layering allows designers to prioritise content and guide user attention really effectively. It can also be utilised for parallax effects which can feel more dynamic and thus more engaging. Layering opens the door to designers for more innovative, creative and brand-consistent design solutions whilst remaining clear, clean and structured.”
Fluid layouts are key to good web design because it means they adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and resolutions. This means they can provide a consistent user experience across all devices. Nowadays, a user is most likely to access a site for the first time on mobile. So, it really is essential and should be a priority for every website designer now and into 2024. KIJO’s Website Service Leader, Liam Terry, adds “ Naturally flowing content no matter the device is essential in web design. With the ever-expanding array of devices continuously entering the market, prioritising a fluid layout in theory means a future-proof design. Google now adopts mobile-first indexing too, so prioritises mobile-friendly website designs on its rankings! The more mobile friendly your site is, the higher it can rank.”
Drag interactions offer an intuitive and natural way for users to engage with content on a site and that’s why this trend has made it onto our 2024 predictions list. “This trend enhances user control and empowers them to manipulate and organise content according to their preferences promoting a personalised feel. It helps with a designer’s creativity too – it gets you thinking: what can drag interaction do for navigation on a site? Or how can it enhance the check out experience? This web design trend is fluid, dynamic, engaging and ultimately enjoyable. Well-designed drag interactions can also help bolster the accessibility and inclusivity of your site as it can suit diverse abilities in users better. I’d bet money that accessibility is going to be a priority for every business and designer in 2024 too. ” says KIJO’s UI/UX Designer, Danny Findon-Kent.
“A positive emotional response to your design is what every designer craves,” KIJO’s Website Service Leader, Liam Terry, says. “The nostalgic web design trend is one we’re starting to see more of because it does this with such ease. Nostalgic website styles widen the scope for clever brand storytelling, provide a memorable aesthetic and stand out from the more generic, contemporary design – and capturing user attention in this market is hard! Nostalgia also has a natural way of fostering a sense of community which attracts many users. It can also feel more authentic which, generally, consumers are demanding more of from the businesses they engage with.”
Another 2024 web design trend we think will make a stand is 3D Design. “3D brings depth and realism to a website. Ultimately digital is all about creating an experience around a brand. 3D allows you to bring something to life and tell a more immersive story,” says KIJO’s Co-Founder, Jordan Thompson.
Gamified design can be captivating, which is why it’s made KIJO’s 2024 web design trend list. “Gamification introduces a motivational aspect,” says Danny Findon-Kent, our UI/UX Designer. “It incorporates rewards and point systems and encourages users to achieve goals or complete tasks. Goal-orientated design, if done well, entices loyalty and thus user retention. That’s because it’s a memorable experience, entertaining and fosters an emotional connection to a brand. Gamification is arguably adaptable across a variety of industries too. That’s why I think we’ll be seeing more of it in 2024.”
Metaverse is predicted to be the next big thing: a virtual reality platform that many companies are working on. “It’s attractive because it offers a more immersive experience,” says KIJO’s Website Service Leader, Liam Terry, “and pushes a web designer’s creativity to go beyond the traditional 2D layouts. It emphasises social collaboration despite it existing in a virtual environment. I think this will be applied to the eCommerce experience on many sites. I think there will also be a push for authentic avatars and identity designs to promote a properly personalised experience too. When presenting data, the metaverse presents opportunities for building this in 3D. This can provide more interactivity and dynamism on sites as well.”
The right fonts in the right places can catch our attention and make us feel something. We predict that bold and custom typography are going to write their way across 2024 website styles and designs. KIJO’s UI/UX Designer, Danny Findon-Kent, says: “Bold typography helps create a distinctive, memorable brand identity. It sets the tone for the personality and values of a brand too. Not only does the right typeface enhance readability of your content as a whole, but it aids in establishing clear visual hierarchy within the interface. It also grabs attention quickly. When used well, bold typography can complement multimedia elements on a site and allows for creative micro interactions and animations, promoting user engagement. This trend is certainly going to be embraced by the website design community in 2024 because it allows us to tell a visual story through text and compels users to stay on site.”
Why not read our blog on our predictions for the 7 Typography Trends of 2024?
Visually striking and attention grabbing – it’s no wonder colourful gradients are rounding off our list of web design trends we foresee for 2024. Liam Terry, our Website Service Leader, says that colourful gradients are “memorable and enable brands to express their identity dynamically and vibrantly. Gradients add depth and dimension to designs and offer narrative elements by allowing for colour progression. Also, let’s not underestimate the power of colours! They’re known to evoke emotion and gradients allow for more nuanced emotional responses. This can be utilised strategically by brands and contribute to a favourable user experience.”
2024 sees the growth of AI, AR and VR predominantly in web design trends. However, these trends are also really embracing that growing consumer hunger for storytelling, brand purpose, and a clear mission and values. These can all be enhanced by the right website styles and designs.
Trends in web design are ever changing. Although, the shared understanding between designers is that keeping your finger on the pulse of them is key to keeping a site relevant and engaging.
If you think your website’s design could do with a bit of a refresh or update and you think you may benefit from a chat with a team of experienced expects, contact the KIJO team today.
