https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/01/web-design-trends-report-2021/

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

The challenges and opportunities of 2020 led the digital design industry to coalesce around several major themes expected to guide web design throughout 2021. As documented in Smashing Magazine's "Web Design Trends 2021: The Report," these themes center largely on user-driven customization, blurring the boundary between the real and the virtual, and social activism.

Web Design Trends 2021

Users, more specifically consumers, are increasingly willing to provide details of their preferences to create a personalized experience. This typically takes the form of allowing users to pick dark/light modes, color themes, sizing of text and elements, and increasing accessibility in general.  

Theme 1: Your UI, By You

Web design in increasingly being used by brands and designers to convey their values and principles. Using bold and iconic visuals, protest graphics and visuals calling for racial, political, and environmental justice are being used to convey educate, empower and raise awareness on existing issues.  

Theme 2: Design Activism 

The global reset of 2020 forced us to rethink our values, connections, and views with people and brands that we care about. This is expected to manifest in calm, uplifting, and playful tones in web design. Using color and typography, digital designs that are lighter, brighter, and more authentic are going to be used to create safe and inclusive web spaces. 

Theme 3: Sensitivity and Optimistic Voice

Digital experiences are moving away from the flat, minimalist designs to incorporating new contemporary, retro ways of adding depth to online experiences. This includes incorporating objects from personal life, creating slightly more quirky and less predictable layouts, patterns, and graphics. 

Theme 4: Retro Touch

Digital experiences will begin to surpass real-world expectations by creating experiences that are immersive. This will be done by using spatial and rich, elaborate visual effects. 

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