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As the year draws to a close, our team has done intensive research on the upcoming web design trends in 2018.  Just as when we brought you 10 web design trends for 2018, this isn’t about following the creative herd: it’s about taking stock of where the industry is right now and creating our own personal guidelines for 2018. So whether you follow these trends or not, it’s helpful to know what they are…

Trend 1

Truly Responsive

Like many parts of the world, Malaysia’s 2017 mobile usage was higher than desktop browsing. In fact, nearly a quarter of Malaysia’s digital population are “mobile only” users. It’s because nowadays, it becomes more convenient to access social media, banking, and even to be involved in online communities with mobile phones.

This means that if your website is not responsive, you are directly cut off 25% of online opportunities from these “mobile only” users. Therefore, a truly responsive website should be ensured, including a “Responsive Table” and “Responsive logo”.

Responsive table
types-of-responsive-tables
Responsive Table

4 common approaches to getting to an accessible, simple, responsive table; Squash, Vertical Scroll, Collapse by rows and Collapse by Columns. Note there is no single solution to make any <table>  appropriately responsive. It all depends on the data contents and requirements.

Responsive Logo

The idea of altering the logo in web design is to make it responsive and thus will not occupy a big portion of the mobile screen.  However, some companies have been refreshing their logos into modern, simplified versions over the past few years, and responsive logo design is the logical next step in meeting the demands of today.

ResponsiveLogos_preview
 *See above: Responsive Logos” by Joe Harrison to explore the creation of scalable logos for some of the world’s biggest brands.
2018 Web Design Trends - Responsive logo 2
2018 Web Design Trends - Responsive logo 1
2018 Web Design Trends - Responsive logo 5
2018 Web Design Trends - Responsive logo 3
2018 Web Design Trends - Responsive logo 4
 *See above: BoltSlingshot, Macaw, GoogleApp icons android
Trend 2

Animation

Animation is widely used to catch user attention. It can also help provide information and lead the user through more active engagement with the design. And to increase user engagement. Basically, it adds life and energy to any structure, regardless of whether it’s serving as the backdrop to a web page or as transitory elements in a mobile app.

Animations don’t have to be quite so obvious or big enough and be superfluous; they only need to aim to provide subtle cues for feeling, interaction and progress that will satisfy and delight the user.

*See above: Animation to illustrate Responsive web design.

*See above: Animation to emphasise on the service provided.

Parallax scrolling animations have been so popular in overseas websites, some of Malaysia web agencies still stick to the old school methods, it’s time to catch up!

There are plenty of other ways to use a scroll to encourage user engagement. (You can mix in a little parallax too; don’t go crazy.)

An example of parallax scrolling shown here is from the game Firewatch, which uses six moving layers to create a sense of depth. It’s great because there’s no scroll hijacking (which often accompanies the parallax effect), and it’s only used at the top of the page – the rest of the site is still so you can read the information without getting seasick. If you want to see how it’s done, here’s a nice demo on CodePen.

Firewatch

*See above: Firewatch

SVG Logo
Trend 3

SVG for High Image Quality & Accessibility.

Old and well-known PNG, JPG, and even GIF images are a thing of the past. In the modern world, more attention is paid to images’ quality and accessibility. SVG will be the #1 most popular extension and deserves to stand alongside other items in Malaysia’s web design trends 2018. Easy to scale and no loss of quality. Additionally, the size of SVG files is, in many respects, very acceptable. This will be the best format for graphic elements.

Trend 4

White Space

White or negative space has continued to prove itself as a versatile and capable art form. The likelihood of seeing this trend continue for several years is almost inevitable.
 
 
Often found in minimal, flat, and material design and consistently associated with appropriate typography, whitespace is the perfectly proportioned space around and between the elements of a layout.
Trend 5

Duotone & Gradients

Pantone shook the design world by declaring its 2016 Color of the Year, possibly sparking the trend on the use of blended, duotone colours in the digital landscape. A lot of websites started adopting the use of duotone, and even as it is in 2017, the style has permeated. Lately, and by 2018, the style will have evolved to be incorporated into double exposure layer effects as well; providing a balance of colour and drama in the specified photos.
*See above: Elje Group, Stripe, and Asana.
Trend 6

Bottom Sticky Elements

You know your users read from left to right, but have you considered that your users are getting used to clicking at the bottom of their smartphones or mobile apps to navigate?

Since mobile app design is so important to modern web design, website developers are beginning to make sticky menu items scroll from the bottom of the site instead of the top of the site’s pages. Progressive web apps are somewhat responsible for this design evolution as developers start to design for modern functionality.

 

Trend 7

Typography

Serif fonts will rise in popularity across web design.
The use of mixed typography has been rising recently. No longer are we sticking to one or two fonts, some websites use a few different font families. This can be tricky to master and achieve a look that isn’t muddled. It found that pairing a simple sans serif with the odd condensed font works a dream, yet this year, we did reintroduce a Serif onto our website, and it seems the trend is here to stay. We foresee more and more Malaysia websites will boast a strong Serif font, using them as title elements, callouts, quotes and even within their logos.
serif-fonts Kuching Website Design
Trend 8

More Depth (with semi-flat design)

It seems that illustrated objects with deeper shadows is back in trend recently. We expect more will follow this trend in 2018.  The below example beautifully illustrates the the power of shadow to enhance the graphic effects.

2018-design-trends
*See above:  The Digital & Graphic Design Trends of 2018 (Infographic) by Coastal Creative.
Trend 9

Page Speed

Load times matter now more than ever – This affects design decisions
An estimated 47% of internet users expect a website to load within 2 seconds or less. How’s that for hurting your bottom line?
People’s patience for a cumbersome and clumsy mobile site or app is waning. They expect to move through a brand’s mobile experience at lightning speed.
Trend 10

Content is still the KING

No matter what design trends or styles become the next big thing in 2018, Content will always be king.

“Never stop learning. Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” -Anthony J. D’Angelo

Get update on the latest Web Design trends in 2022

Trends of White space,Comfortable Colors, Dark Mode, Interactive designs etc.

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