Easy on the Eye
With more and more people’s jobs reliant on constant screen time it is not surprising that users have experienced eye strain and other negative effects associated with too much blue light. That’s why there is a developing new web design trend toward colour schemes that are more easy on the eye.
The trend last year of Dark Mode was also brought about by this issue and focussed on removing the mostly white background from interfaces and replacing them with darker themes.
Now designers are thinking beyond these two basic theme options of light and dark. Middle ground soft colour palettes are instead being explored such as pastel colours and more natural tones. These colour schemes are not only less extreme and discordant than a black or white option it also induces a more calming environment for the user to work with.
Overall, designers are creating with more concern for accessibility than for dramatic effect.
Fly the Flag
In 2021 we will see more brand allegiances to charities, movements and causes. The world is currently a turbulent place at the moment and a brand can really plug into the emotional heart of the consumer by letting them know that they are on their side. That they share the same values and ideologies.
On the small scale this could be photography to represent a more inclusive customer demographic. Not just skinny white models but a wider array of shapes, sizes and colours. On the other end of the spectrum this could mean brands shining a spotlight on social issues and injustices. A key example could be that of labour equity in workers who are working on the brands products or animal cruelty in cosmetic products.
Scrolling transformations
When you scroll through a web page you are doing more than simply getting from the top to the bottom. You are interacting. When scrolling down a touch screen using your fingers there is a sense of involvement in the process and when the user is involved they are more likely to be engaged with the experience.
Web designers are now striving to emulate this sense of engagement on non touch screens by making the process of scrolling more engaging. This can involve subtle background colour changes to animated effects to full layout changes as the user scrolls up and down the page.
Ultimately the purpose of this design trend is that in order to achieve customer conversions the user cannot be allowed to lose interest in any step of the process.
