New Trends in Website Design for 2013

Website design changes like the seasons.  In one year, busy and detailed designs were trendy, but now simplistic designs are much more prominent. 2013 web design trends are drastically different from last year. We have compiled a list of the most influential web design trends of 2013.

Flat Design
Flat design is the new design philosophy for website design. If you take a close look at modern websites you will see a lack of superfluous effects and depth. Flat design is made to look flat, meaning there aren't any shadows or effects which create an illusion of depth.

Instead of gradients, we now just use a solid fill color. Digital interfaces and screens are much more suited to the style of flat design and during 2013 this design philosophy really took off. Vibrant colors and obvious elements are juxtaposed upon a simplistic canvas. Flat design takes usability and user experience to new levels through clever interface design.

One-Page Websites
Most modern websites these days are designed to be a single page. The single page acts as both a usability and design mechanic. Usability testing has revealed that users prefer to scroll down through a website rather than clicking on links to navigate around a website. Mobile technology might also have a part to play in the popularity of the single page website.

Responsive Design
During late 2012 and early 2013, the most used word to describe website design trends was responsive. The theory of being able to create websites which would respond and adapt to a user's screen resolution had finally become practical and fashionable.

Responsive design isn't a hot-topic anymore these days, because it is considered to be part of the standard web development process. Responsive websites can scale themselves elegantly for smaller screens (and mobile devices) and then scale up for larger screen resolutions.

Large Photo Backgrounds
The general consensus of new 2013 web design trend is to make the content the focal point of the website. Many websites now feature an image slider or large photographic background on the main page. Photos provide interesting materials and visuals to keep a user engaged with your website. These same photographs can also be used to communicate with the users in a much quicker and intuitive way than text or other media can.

Minimalism
Many of the current 2013 web design trends can be categorized under minimalism. The simplification of graphic elements and user interfaces follows the philosophy of minimalism. Most websites feel very clean and easy to decipher, thanks to the minimalistic style of design they employ. The idea of keeping everything simple is commonplace in website design these days.

These are just a few of the most influential 2013 web design trends. Even as you read this article, there might have been a new development or trend that is taking place. The internet is continually evolving and websites need to adapt to new changes to keep up with consumer demands.

Author bio:
Tiffany Faming is a passionate writer and English teacher.  She loves to write about travel, family, books, and trends.  

---