In the past year and till date it seems that every day there was a new app launched or a tool or feature incorporated in web design to make it more functional and interesting.

In 2017 you saw useful tools and apps such as Adobe XD, Marvel and several others and some of these tools had been a real game changer. Gone are the days when designers used Photoshop extensively for UI design.

If you take a look around you now you will find a colossal list of such tools that will make your designing endeavor easy and more effective. New design tools, modified old-school tools et al, seems to have revolutionized the designing industry. These tools highlight the core elements for a significant benefit.

Playful yet Useful Illustration

Any homepage of any modern website will have attractive illustrations that are not only attractive and engaging but is also relevant to the content of the website. Ideally, illustrations help any brand to stand out which is why you have seen a lot of illustrations in websites designed in 2017. This is certainly not a coincidence as illustrations are the most wonderful way to inoculate personality to a website.

These illustrations are visually engaging but most importantly it enhances the simplicity as well as the functionality of the website. There are endless shapes, sizes and styles that these illustrations are designed and incorporated to provide a dynamic effect to the site.

Flat Design Is Back

If you thought flat design is dying or is already dead, then think again. In 2018, flat design is back with a bang and it has learned to adapt itself to stay relevant. The new Flat Design 2.0 or semi-flat design as it is more commonly known relies on adding depth and nuances to the ascetic identity of any website.

It is moderation of the old-school flat design that has enabled its comeback and it is sure to stay way ahead of 2018. All that is needed to do to use it effectively is to implement some well-structured taboos such as shadows and gradients.

Evolution of AI

Artificial intelligence or AI is no more a science fiction as you see in the movies only. This has made its way and has already made its thumping presence in mainstream web design. Conversational interfaces such as chatbots and other technologies have indeed helped it to make its mark.

The more intriguing fact is that AI has been improved into ‘Artificial Narrow Intelligence’ or ANI. This is helping voice assistants and is also helping in running recommendation technologies for big corporations. It is also used in smart home devices including self-driving cars.

However, the demands are ever changing and further developments are made on a constant basis. As this becomes more sophisticated Artificial Narrow Intelligence has been modified even more into ‘Artificial General Intelligence.’

Asymmetric Layout Concept

Over the years as the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are on the rise, the demand to make responsive design is also on a similar surge. Now the designers are more focused on creating websites that will seamlessly adapt to different devices. Newer and better tools and techniques are being developed and used to overcome the constraints of responsive web design. Designers are more creative now breaking the barriers as well as the traditional designing concept left, right and center.

This approach has pushed the limits of asymmetry adding more personality, creativity and boldness in character of the brands the site is designed for.

Use of Mobile

Designers such as Tayloright are trying to make the most of the extensive use of mobile. 2017 is supposed to be the landmark year for mobile use with smartphones becoming affordable and usable for all across the globe. It has continued in 2018 even in a more significant way and in recent years to follow it will perhaps be the only way to keep in touch with the informative web on the move.

As it is the mobile usage of the internet has taken over desktop usage suggesting that the web designers will focus more on the mobile audience now and next year even beyond.

Organizing Information Strategically

The rise of mobile usage has also made the web designers think about newer and better ways to organize and present information in a better way. In 2018 mobile functionality will continue to show its effect on the designing process to make things more intuitive, explicit and sophisticated. This will ensure better user experiences, faster conveyance of messages, reach out to the more targeted audience and most importantly facilitate gestures and micro-interactions over different buttons and icons.

In a nutshell, it can be said that sites will be more navigable than now and will also be more intuitive as well. It means mobile is going to become more important to the web designers in 2018.

Kinetic Emails Improves Brand Presence

Apart from making the emails, more mobile-responsive people are now looking up to what comes next in the digital design industry. Interactive emails are a useful way to better the brand presence as it establishes a direct, fast and safe communication with the customers. It is the use of CSS3 and HTML that helped the designers to create interactivity in an email to make it more responsive. The designers focus on a UI language that the users find easy to understand, communicate and are comfortable using it.

The E-commerce Boom

The change in the scenario of e-commerce which is on the zenith now is also responsible for the continual change in web design. This trend is supposed to become better and better in the coming years and therefore it is necessary to build a stronger e-commerce platform.

This has provided a lot of opportunities to several businesses that rely on the internet and the apps solely. Now, businesses that do not own or operate any restaurant or grocery store can bring you the freshest food right to your doorstep. This is just the beginning of a brand new year of opportunities ahead.