Website design trends that will freshen your look fast

A certain person I work with, who shall remain nameless since she’s proofreading this blog, is reading a book right now called “Look 10 Years Younger in a Weekend.” (Ed note: Turning 40 stinks.) This book got us talking the other day about turning back the clock. Often that’s what our clients want us to do for them: freshen up the logo, tighten up the website. We’re like plastic surgeons for old, dated websites.

The good thing is that it doesn’t take much to look 10 years younger online. So, what makes a site look old and what makes a site look fresh? The rules are constantly changing, but here are some evolutions that are more than just trends:

Less copy

What’s the one thing that is guaranteed to make your site look old? Lots of text – especially if that text looks like big, gray blocks of words on the page. Sure, content is important – especially when it comes to search engine optimization. But you also need to keep content succinct.

A modern site is more airy with more white space. If you have no choice but to have lots of content on your page, consider adding expandable features that allow the user to expose the text as needed. This helps keep your page looking clean while not sacrificing the important content. Plus, it keeps the user engaged, which will increase the likelihood that he or she will retain the information presented.

Also, don’t forget to organize content with a mobile-first mentality. That means breaking it into smaller chunks that can be moved around and reflowed for responsive design. Nobody wants to read long, scrolling blocks of content on a mobile device without a visual break. Use images or spaces to break up the monotony.

More (high quality) photography

A major trend is having good photography on websites – not just illustrations or snapshots parked in margins and sidebars. Modern websites use photos for visual storytelling. Photography is part of the page, not just shoved to the side.

Photos play a very big role in maintaining the user’s interest, so it’s important that you select good imagery that will keep your users engaged. This is no place for your mobile phone snapshots. Save those for social media.

Fewer levels of navigation

This is another area where the mantra is “keep it simple.” Old-looking sites go four or five levels deep – or more. Fresh sites get the job done with only 2 or 3 levels, tops. Again, this is a decision to streamline content. If you can say it in 5 pages, why use 15?

Modern users will not comb through pages of online content. The digital age has decreased a user’s attention span greatly, so get your point across clearly and quickly or forget it.

Bold and flat

The big trend in website design right now is “flat” designs. Thanks to Apple’s latest iOS release, 3D icons and realistic renderings with drop shadows are a thing of the past. Modern designs use more bold, simple elements that help guide the user to the content they are interested in.

Bold, simple designs offer an optimal viewing experience for users and also help when it comes to making the site responsive and easily translatable to mobile devices.

The bottom line: Site design trends come and go, but what will always remain is the need for a website to be clean and easy to use. Remember that content is king, but make sure you’re only presenting the content that the user wants and that you’re doing it in a clean and concise manner.

Now, take a look at your current site and see if you notice that it could use some tweaking based on the trends listed above. Maybe it’s time for a facelift. I’ll call the plastic surgeon.

- Brad