Simplicity is the new mantra for the year 2013. User interface designers are realizing the need to focus on touch friendly, simple, flat and typographical designs with acute attention to color, form and type. Over the upcoming months, most desktop websites will start transforming and imitating the style and interfaces of mobile apps. Due to the amalgamation and simplification of content and design as well as the creation of responsive websites, user interface design trends for website design and development will continue to alter how users experience the web.
The following trends will be the mainstay in user interface design trends throughout 2013:
1. Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design remains one of the most popular trends of 2013, websites will expand upward, adapting to larger and different types of displays from desktop computers to smartphones and everything in between. Thanks to responsive web design, which allows designs to convert to screens of any size, designers are creating websites that give off a custom and personal feel unique to each device type.
2. Parallax Scrolling
Parallax scrolling is another trend that is rapidly evolving alongside the growing trend of richly interactive websites. The parallax effect creates an illusion of depth by making elements or layers of a web page move at different speeds as viewers scroll. It is a fun and interactive way to allow for seamless navigation of a website.
3. Flat UI Design Inspiration
Flat UI design, though not a new concept, is making a huge comeback as many websites are simplifying their interfaces to adapt to multiple devices. UI designs are now becoming simpler and flatter through a limited use of gradients, inner shadows and drop shadows.
4. Tap and Swipe Friendly Buttons and Icons
Now that the touch era has grown, UI designing is now focusing on tapping and swiping friendly options for buttons and icons. Due to usability and efficiency being the key for success in the web world, designers are now focused on larger finger friendly buttons that are easy to tap. As far as buttons and icons go, UI designers are opting for 16px body font size and 48px wide buttons. Icons are becoming a huge part of the touch revolution, with more focus on the creation of icons that incorporate responsive design in order to visually demonstrate a site’s full capability.
5.Typography Design
User interface designers are now concentrating on developing simplistic and spacious web layouts, sometimes designing solely with type. Typography is being used as an art form with web designers on the verge of a typographical resurgence. The clever use of CSS and JavaScript are allowing them to mimic a range of typesetting techniques, including letterpress with Georgia, Avenir and Bodoni type being the most popular.
6. Large Background Images & Videos
Another catching trend becoming prevalent, are websites that hardly use any text but instead emphasize large photos and videos that often cover the entire screen real estate. One particularly favored technique, is to lay one giant image as the foundation background for the entire website.
Bottom Line, Keep It Simple!
The keywords for this year are going to be simplicity, minimalism, clear layouts, mobile app-style interfaces, design inspired by typography, reduced adornment, flat style, flat colors and stunning enormous images. A combination of all these aspects will effectively keep the UI of your website or application, uncomplicated and free flowing.