Web design is no longer just about creating visually appealing pages. Instead, it’s about crafting experiences that resonate, engage, and inspire. With new tech constantly emerging and a bigger spotlight on user behavior and engagement, the trends of 2024 are set to redefine how we think about digital aesthetics and functionality.

Trends are important to be aware of, but don’t let them dictate what you’re actually doing. Trends cycle so quickly that it can be impossible to keep up, but that also means everything could be trendy at some point.

Denser, richer graphics

It’s being expected denser and richer graphics to be everywhere. Sites will be full of complexity, color, textures, and patterns to help create even more immersive experiences for users. This approach moves further away from the clean and minimalist designs and graphics that have been prevalent in the past decade.

AI-generated designs

The integration of generative art and AI in web design is poised to revolutionize the digital landscape. Over the past two years, there’s been widespread emergence, accessibility, and adoption of AI-generated designs, and this trend will continue to take root and transform the digital and design worlds even more.

Instead of every user having the same content — sites will now include dynamic and evolving content based on individual preferences, offering designs that are unique and relevant to each user.

Skeuomorphism

Skeuomorphism in web design is about creating elements that mimic their real-world counterparts in look, feel, and function, providing a familiar and intuitive user experience. It helps users quickly understand how to interact with various elements, making the interface more user-friendly.

The revival of skeuomorphism goes beyond mere nostalgia — it’s an emotional response to the over-digitization of our day-to-day lives. 

Parallax scrolling

Parallax scrolling is a technique where background content moves at a different speed than foreground content, creating an illusion of depth and a more dynamic visual experience. This small but impactful design choice enhances storytelling, guides the user journey through the website, and increases engagement by providing a unique and interactive user experience.

Parallax scrolling isn’t a new concept in the design world; in fact, it was incredibly popular roughy 10 years ago. Instead of static designs and imagery, now parallax scrolling will incorporate more live and video content.

Kinetic typography

Kinetic typography is when text is animated in order to capture attention and convey messages dynamically. This trend elevates the role of text from mere information conveyance to an engaging visual element. Coupled with the widespread availability of user-friendly design tools and a cultural shift towards more vibrant, dynamic content — kinetic typography is poised to redefine the aesthetics of web design to make pages experiential instead of simply informational.

Kinetic typography is expected to become more interactive, responding to user actions and integrating with other design elements for a cohesive and immersive experience. It will be key in narrative-driven designs, especially landing pages and campaigns.

Microinteractions

Microinteractions refer to small, interactive elements within a website that respond to user actions, like hovering over a button or clicking on an icon. These interactions are often subtle yet add significant engagement and intuitiveness to the user experience.

Typographical evolution

Typography is evolving in every way possible. Designers are experimenting with layout, size, and color, as well as incorporating dynamic and interactive elements. 

Instead of being just a way to communicate a message, typography now is a character on the screen and used as an active design element that enhances the overall aesthetic and appeal of a site.