If you’ve been keeping an eye on the world of website design, you’ve likely noticed some exciting new trends emerging. From integrated navigation elements to larger-than-life interactive typography and striking digital overprint styles, designers are getting quite creative this year.
Let’s dive into three of the hottest website design trends making waves right now and explore some captivating examples.
1. Integrated Navigation
The traditional sticky navigation bar anchored at the top of the screen has been a staple for years. But we’re seeing a shift towards navigation elements that are more seamlessly integrated into the overall website design.
This approach can be a bit trickier to pull off, as you need to ensure readability and a smooth scrolling experience. But when executed well, the results can be beautifully elegant and even encourage user interaction.
Beca Tea integrates its navigation into the background in a few clever ways. The logo sits outside the main navigation area, allowing the scattered white letters on a dark background to create a navigation bar across the top. Subtle animated tea leaves even encroach into the navigation space, adding a delightful touch of movement.
Fervent Digital takes a unique approach with a vertical navigation menu on the right side, integrated directly into the main hero image. Subtle hover interactions and thin animated lines help guide users through the navigation choices. On scroll, the menu neatly tucks away into a hamburger icon. Pininfarina’s integrated navigation is anchored at the bottom of the screen, with an additional menu hidden behind a hamburger icon at the top. The video reel in the background is darkened in the lower third to ensure the navigation options are always easy to read, no matter where you are on the page.
2. Big, Interactive Typography
Oversized typography has been a popular trend for a while, but designers are taking it to new heights by pairing it with interactive elements and animation.
The results are bold, attention-grabbing designs that practically demand the user’s engagement.
Miso Tone uses a large, experimental typeface as the centerpiece of its design. While the text itself doesn’t move, the background elements are constantly in motion – from the shifting type to the animated photo and video area. Even the mouse pointer gets in on the action with a circling hover effect. Full Circle forgoes any distractions, letting the large, animated typography take center stage. The white letters grow onto the screen, accompanied by a colorful, constantly moving background. A subtle scroll animation helps guide the user to the next section of the design. Michael Kovs leads with a loading video where the big words grow until they snap into place. From there, the large letters take on a glitch-like effect, keeping the motion and energy front and center. Unique navigation boxes below the text provide quick access to other areas of the website.
3. Digital Overprint Styles
Overprinting is a classic print design technique that’s now making its way into the digital realm. By blending and overlapping colors, designers can create rich, complex visuals with a distinctive look and feel.
Otis Bay Studio uses animation and a fun digital overprint style to fill letters and merge color elements, all against a black-and-white outline. They balance this bold approach with softer gradients in the text blocks and some interesting scroll effects. Museum in the Village takes a more natural overprint approach, blending colors in a way that reminds us of classic print designs. The dot gain style is carried throughout the scrolling experience, creating a cohesive and visually rich theme. Scrib3 uses a stark outline and inline style to achieve an overprint effect without relying heavily on color. The result is a modern take on a brutalist design aesthetic, with a touch of digital flair.
Embracing the Future of Web Design
The common thread among these trends is that they often require a significant amount of custom design work to implement effectively. They’re not necessarily easy to mix and match with existing frameworks or templates.
But if you’re starting a new web design project or planning a website facelift, these are the kinds of trends you’ll want to consider. Experiment, have fun, and make these ideas your own. The future of web design is in your hands!