Web design is evolving quickly, introducing innovations to maintain contemporary aesthetics and functionality. Fast loading times, the responsiveness on mobile devices, user-friendly navigation, and data security – these will never go out of style.

However, some website components are bound to change; they were popular last year but are now outdated. 

In order to make all the necessary adjustments, you should stay on top of the most recent innovations in custom web design. This article will introduce you to 15 trending elements and features in web design in 2023. Let’s dive in and find out what has changed!

1. Prioritize the User Experience

User experience has been, is, and will be crucial for a successful website. Providing a positive user experience (UX) will keep your audience on your website, lower the bounce rate, and increase engagement.

Analyze your target audience. Who are they, and what do they like? Would they fancy bright colors, large typography, or more pictures and videos? Use audience research tools to get answers about your ideal users and provide them with elements that will bolster your UX.

The user experience is a deciding factor in your success. Even the most modern aesthetic will be worthless if no one can see it; therefore, optimize your UX to keep your audience engaged.

2. Bold Typography

Typography can make or break how users experience your website. Also, oversized and bold typography is one of the hot trends in modern web design for 2023.

You want your message to stand out and find a way to reach your audience. Choose a font that is easy to read.  Also, a word’s meaning can vary depending on the font you use: just seeing the letter shapes evokes senses and emotions, even before reading the text.

Properly chosen typography also complements website design and adds character, enchanting it, and making it even more attractive. 

3. Bright Colors

You may want to reconsider the color scheme of your website in 2023. Bright and bold colors are the newest trend because they attract attention and make people want to engage with your brand. 

If you’re using dull or muted colors, change them for more vivid shades that will make your website pop and stand out from the competition.

Colors significantly impact moods and emotions and shape how users see your site. The color scheme you use is part of your brand identity and what makes it recognizable. Combining black and white with bright accent colors is another trend in the world of color. 

Black and white are always modern and sophisticated; they highlight textures and shapes. Accents in bright shades, such as orange, magenta, or turquoise, will accentuate important points of your website, creating a unique user experience.

4. Brutalism 

If you’re following the latest trends and styles, especially those outside the cultural mainstream, you have to check out brutalism since it’s among the top design trends for 2023! 

Brutalism was an architectural style in the late 50s, but today it finds its place in transparent and rough web design. 

In brutalism, functionality is prioritized over aesthetics, but this movement also looks modern and attractive! Brutal web design has no unnecessary elements, and its simplicity enables the website to load quickly and require less maintenance.

If you’re looking for an unusual and modern front-end solution, brutalism can provide it!

5. Dark Mode Web Designs

Dark-mode web designs are on the rise, and there are two reasons for their popularity. First, dark mode puts less strain on the eyes. 

In 2022, the average internet user spends almost 7 hours in front of the screen, an increase of 50 minutes compared to 2013. Dark mode lets the eyes relax so users can engage with their favorite content longer.

Another reason for dark mode’s growing popularity is its modern look on websites. Black is mystic, sophisticated, and elegant, and so will the design of your site if you use it.

6. White Space

One of the design trends on the rise is the use of white space, also known as negative space. 

White space doesn’t necessarily have to be white – it can be any color, as long as it’s empty – undisrupted by text or image content. This concept emphasizes important elements in your web design. It’s elegant, and it provides a relaxed user experience.

7. Micro-Interactions

Micro-interactions are tiny animations that add to the user experience. One of the most common micro-interactions is the gradient that shows over a link when you pass the mouse over it. 

Another example of micro-interaction is the Twitter-like button: every time you click the little heart beneath the tweet, it will burst into small red pieces.

Micro-interactions are a small detail that users enjoy; therefore, it’s one of the growing trends we will see in 2023.

8. Parallax Scrolling

Trends in web design come and go, but some tend to repeat. That is the case with parallax scrolling, which became a thing in 2012. Many websites “borrowed” this fascinating effect from video games. 

The parallax effect on web pages uses several backgrounds that move at different speeds to create a sense of depth (creating an artificial 3D effect). This technique is thoroughly utilized in “old-fashioned” games and is also an exciting trend in web design. 

Parallax scrolling looks great on pages with little content; it is an ideal solution for single-page websites because it makes them look attractive and modern. 

9. Smart Content Loading 

Loading resource-heavy websites can take time, and poor loading speed equals a poor user experience. Smart content loading isn’t new technology, all major social networks have been using it for years, but it will remain necessary in 2023. 

Lazy loading and infinite scroll are optimization techniques that allow loading only the content the user sees without unnecessary workload. Adding one of these options to your website can significantly improve rankings, user experience, and lower bounce rates.

10. Mobile-first Design

To achieve full potential in mobile-friendliness, go with a mobile-first design, which implies creating a mobile version of the website before desktop and tablet versions. Responsive design is also suitable for views from different devices but is complex and prone to bigger screens.

Mobile-first design is “thumb friendly” – based on how we hold and scroll mobile phones using our fingers. Most people hold their phones with their fingers wrapped around the device’s back while the thumb freely moves through the screen. 

In mobile-first design, all crucial buttons are placed where the thumb can reach them, providing a comfortable and effortless user experience.

11. Fast Loading Speed

Regarding the loading speed, every second counts; in fact, slow loading time is one of the significant factors in the page abandonment rate. 47% of users expect a page to load in under two seconds. If it doesn’t, they become impatient and leave.

Fast loading time is one of the essential elements of every website, regardless of the industry. Whether you have an eCommerce, blog, or news website, its loading speed must be under two seconds in order to reduce the bounce rate and prolong the time spent on your pages.

12. Accessibility

Every Internet user should be able to read your content and interact with it, but for people with disabilities, that’s possible only if sites are accessible. Accessibility is more than just a trend in web design – it’s a must-have if we want to live in an inclusive online society. Thus, it is important to keep this in mind when exploring search engine strategies for your website.

A website that people with disabilities can navigate and explore without difficulties can increase your traffic, boost conversions and improve SEO. 

Here are some tips on improving website accessibility: 

• Structure content using relevant headlines.
• Use contrasting colors to improve readability.
• Add alt text, captions, and subtitles to pictures and videos.
• Create content that everyone can understand.
• Make website navigation consistent.

13. Voice Search

Using voice for internet browsing instead of typing is increasingly popular since “71% of consumers prefer to conduct queries by voice instead of typing.” 

Voice search is already trendy and present in everyday life (think of Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa), but it will be even more popular in 2023 and the future. 

Voice search is dynamic, fun, simple, effortless, and more important – this is the design trend you want to optimize for in order to achieve better ranking positions in SERP. 

14. Human-like Chatbots

Chatbots are artificial intelligence-powered software that uses advanced technology, such as machine learning and natural language processing, to reply to users’ queries. 

Chatbots are a popular replacement for human customer services that takes a part of the burden of the employees back and allows them to dedicate themselves to more creative tasks.

Chatbots have been a thing for quite a while now, but they will remain a hot trend in 2023. They have become so commonplace that the best CRM tools have them in their basic feature set. 

Chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we expect them to be integrated into almost all websites, especially in the eCommerce, healthcare, banking, human resources, travel, and banking sectors.

15. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is already incorporated into many websites, providing users with valuable insights before making a purchase. For example, Airbnb lets them tour the apartment before booking it, while various apps allow them to try on clothes before buying. 

Virtual and augmented reality trends will rise in the years to come. They provide a unique user experience and valuable help while making buyer’s decisions.

Takeaways On Web Design Innovations

Web design trends change, and it is impossible to incorporate them all – you should choose the most important ones for your niche. 

However, some trends are everlasting: the website should be fast, responsive, and available to all users. If you add aesthetic elements, such as bold colors and typography combined with negative space, you’ll be on top of web design trends in 2023.