10:11am
When we think of Google, we associate the company with its powerful search engine and obscure nature. This obscurity is what makes Google tick, it is a company with no real given direction in its motives. Google has an interest in a number of areas, and believe it or not, web design is one of their main areas of interest. Google is one of the companies at the forefront of reshaping how we design the user interface.
Just recently, Google began a roll out of a new interface for YouTube based on its Material Design layout. So, let’s look at the four main Web Design Trends of 2017 that Google is utilizing to help reshape the user interface:
This is a trend that has been around and will continue to reshape how we approach web design. Google is one of the companies that have pushed material design to the forefront. Google even created a website dedicated to assisting those to understand how to follow the guidelines of material design. Learn More.
Minimalistic Design is somewhat an umbrella term for design styles. For example, Material Design. To put it simply, less is more as we transition into web development and design for all platforms. Simple designs offer more fluidity as we move towards more responsive and modular interfaces. Learn More.
As you can see, these trends relate in their uses and their origin. Once again, Google being the pioneer to help push these ideas to become mainstream. Modularity is important because it’s not simply limited to web design. Millennials have adopted minimalistic principles in their homes and lifestyles. You can see this with tiny homes and convertible furniture to accommodate limited living spaces. This same principle can be seen with web design as one-page web applications work, as a Swiss Army knife in their ability to adopt and possess interchangeable parts. Learn More.
Websites are often treated as resumes. With resumes, one page is the max. For websites, only the most important information should exist to grab the viewer’s’ attention. This also ties back into the minimalistic approach that is redefining how we relay information to the viewer. With one page sites, it is more about substance. You need to provide users with what they need, and nothing extra. This avoids a sense of clutter and information overload. With one page sites, there is no need for a navigation bar. In the place of a navigation bar, websites have begun to use smooth scrolling transitions to serve as a form of narration to guide the users through the story of the website. Learn More.
To summarize the four website design and development trends of 2017 include material design, minimalistic design, modularity, and one-page sites. Google has been one of the most important leaders in driving these trends. It is important to understand and abide by the new web trends and guidelines. By doing so, you can remain relevant, and maintain new or returning visitors.