Have you ever started a design project that was just hard to show? Or maybe one that didn’t have many video or photo assets to work with? That’s when designers have to stretch their creativity to come up with interesting and engaging concepts that will still keep users scrolling and clicking. This month, our design trend focus is on three trends that suggest that things are somewhat difficult. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Homepages with Typography Focus. When you don’t have many other elements to work with, the go-to option is often typography. There are so many great and fun ways to use text elements to grab user attention and tell a good story online. The challenge with this design trend is thinking responsively. You have to take special care with how text elements respond on different device sizes to ensure that everything is still readable and your effects come across seamlessly. The reward here is that users know immediately what your website design is about because there’s often large text on the screen that tells them right away. No guessing here! Stellare uses its brand name with a color/background motion technique and a clever pun to grab your attention right away. (Did this technique work for you? It made me grin.) It works in part because the design is so simple. You don’t need to know what the video is in the background to understand the text. Everything is easy to read with simple text choices and a high focus on one key word.
2. Overlapping Elements. When you lack a single key piece of imagery, a better option is to use space or allow elements to encroach on each other’s spaces to create visual interest. This is another rather tricky technique that can be difficult to design on multiple screen sizes. On the other hand, when it works well, this technique can have a stellar effect. Overlapping elements can include text against background or foreground elements, images or video and text, or even small images, illustrations, or animations that overlap other elements (text or imagery). When designing with this trend, it is important to pay attention to how elements interact so that everything remains readable and so that important information is not covered up. Cresci’s uses an overprint effect to make text elements seem to merge in and out of the background. The homepage design is stark, but the texture, oversized text, and overall effect are definitely attention-grabbing.
3. Ways to Show AI. How do you show artificial intelligence? Over the last few months, we noted multiple trends with different ways to show it, including using robotic figures and text-heavy designs. The focus on how to show AI has shifted again with things that just look kind of high-tech, but aren’t focused on putting a “face” to the technology. OpenCall.ai uses an animation that maybe resembles a soundwave to show their AI technology. It works because there are enough words and descriptors on the screen that you don’t really need the image. It’s designed to be small for a reason.
The most interesting trend here is the last one. While the first two have made rounds and trended in the past, showing AI is a pretty new concept. How do you show computer processing? It’s a tough concept, but thinking outside the box helps. Do you think you could find an interesting way to show this on your own or would you borrow from a concept you’ve seen elsewhere. It’s great food for thought … and best to think about it before one of these projects comes your way.
