1. Oversized Logos / Headers
The idea of having huge image/logos on the front page is to create a strong first impression on the visitors.
2. Huge Typography and Slab Typeface
Web is not originally built for typography. If you have been designing website for a living, you will understand the pain of fonts usability. However, the tie has turned and designers are a lot bolder to experiment with new fonts and slab typography on website. This trend is still quite at its infancy but I believe it will continue strong into 2011. Well it's just a prediction. In the mean time, you will see lots of websites are having jumbo font size blasted on their front pages. It's quite fun and refreshing to see this trend is gaining momentum.
3. Sketch/Hand-drawn
Hand-drawn design isn't new to the web designers. However,most of us can't draw (speaking for myself). Ok, Ok I know this statement might offend you. So let me correct this, many of us can't draw well, We tend to shy from creatively sketched graphics for our website design. We'd rather buy boring, generic clipart software and use them if deems necessarily. Oh, don't get me start with the clipart. It's so ugly and I'm glad this trend is long gone. And I hope it will never come back. Why is hand-drawn/sketch design trend is in right now? It shows the great creativity side of design elements. It also adds more personal touch to the overall feel. I'm always drooling over any site that has beautiful hand-drawn or sketched graphic arts. Piccasonians, please create more and more awesome designs to inspire us all.
4. Huge image
The use of huge image is greatly exploited recently in many mainstream websites as well as personal portfolio ones. I guess the purpose of using the humongous, colossal sized image is to create a strong invitational feeling for visitors. I also notice that most sites that are going with this trend also reduce other elements on the page. They want to emphasize on the image itself. The difference between huge image and huge headers/logo trend is "brand" awareness. While obviously huge headers/logos are related to branding, huge image design is just a way to entice visitors to come to your site.
5. One page layout
One website describes this trend as personal portfolio and business card layout. I think that is the best definition of one page layout design. So why is there only one page? Most of the time, these sites are just the portal, gateway, one stop shop to display their personal information or links to other works or related business sites. One page layout usually used in the mix with typography, huge image or sometimes minimalist designs.
6. Change of perspective
I'm not sure if this can be viewed as a trend since many designers have been doing this since "Mosaic in a box" browser was released in 1993. This design is usually done with flash since it requires a higher level of interaction and clickable image position. To some businesses, it makes sense to have the website designed with this trend since it will greatly present the company marketing images, look and feel. However, for the larger crowd, this design will pose rigid configuration and difficult to update or modify.
7. Interactive/Intuitive
I'm sure the flash guys are loving this since it is their turfs. I'm generally not a fan of flash. I prefer jquery and any other javascripts that can help me to avoid using flash. However, there are certain things that flash proves to be superior. And this is it. Most of the sites using this trend are the online game, the entertainment businesses. Whatever it is, the trend is making a major comeback. Thanks to the better flash program and more sophisticated web surfers.
8. Modal boxes
This is very trendy indeed. When the open source applications like mootool, jquery, lightbox have proved that flash is not the only player in town when it comes to create nice inline gradient background pop-up and other cool animation features, more and more websites are using modal boxes. Modal boxes are like the pop-up windows but it is nicer and easier to configure and develop.
9. Minimalism
The name says it all for this trend. This trend tends to morph into typography, black and white trends. Sometimes, it's difficult to distinguish the minimalism trend among similar types mentioned above. This is also one of my personal favorite. Less is more.
10. Over-sized footers
If your website contains one or two fine printed lines of copyrighted information, it's time to jazz it up with this latest trend of over-the-top sized footers. I think the movement of open source cms like mambo, joomla, phpnuke does contribute to this trend. The footers tend to contain less important message but more personal information and miscellaneous bits. Get on it quick because I don't see it vanishing anytime soon. By the way,Viivue.com also follows this trend to include a larger than normal footers.
11. Horizontalism
This is also my personal favorite. However, we haven't had a chance to create any commercial website using this trend yet. Horizontalism trend isn't for every site but if you do it correctly, the end result is very pleasing. The technique behind it is quite simple. You just need to set up a large css layout and use div plus a bit of jquery scripting to show parts of it. I have seen many amazingly creative horizontal websites.
12. Print design influence
Website designers have been restricted by the primitive html language for quite some times now. With the improved CSS and javascript application, designers are equipped with the right tools to create more sophisticated designs. And where do they get inspiration from? Mostly from the printed material. In 2010, you will see a lot more designs, static and dynamic, that looks like a booklet, a magazine, a flier or corporate presentation booklet.
13. Magazine layouts
This trend is very similar with the print design influence one. The only difference is like the name suggests, it has more of an online magazine layout. This trend is very popular with the bloggers and infotainment sites. Over the past few years, some of the online magazine site such as CNN, Newyork Times, Times are providing inspirations for magazine layout trend, IMHO. One thing you need to watch out when you design any website using this trend is not overdo it. Keep in mind the importance of the "content" and make sure the design trend is there to support it.
14. White space
Instead of writing about this trend. I want to share an excerpt from a source on the internet about white space. "White space allows for easier scanning of a website. It reduces the amount of text visitors see all at once and makes reading much easier. It allows for the visual separation of design elements without adding any new elements such as visible lines or boxes. It is clean, looks professional when used correctly, and gives a site an uncluttered and fresh feel. White space is sadly one of the most underrated elements of a strong web design. Just because it isn’t shiny or glossy doesn’t mean it isn’t important or essential to a website."
14. Social media
Facebook, Tweeter, Digg, Blogger, RSS, and a few more media sites are the reason why this trend has picked up momentum and enter the mainstream of design. Sites with social icons are everywhere now.
15. Retro design
I'm not a major fan of the retro trend. One of the reason is I don't have any graphical skill to create such a elaborated icons, background, headers to create an old vintage look and feel. The retro design emphasizes on the fun, the playfulness. Someone said "Retro is new" and it's not really farfetched in the web design direction. Do it properly and you will have a fun, intuitive site. Please note some of the retro design site is very similar to the change of perspective design.
16. Intro boxes
This trend is just another way to enhance personal website. I guess, designers were hitting the creative roadblock when it comes to about page and personal information site when they created the intro box trend.
