Resolutions have been made. The new year has been welcomed. Now let’s start predicting. We’ve been thinking about the immediate future of website design, and here are some trends that we’ll be watching develop in 2012.
Go Mobile
If you own a smartphone or tablet or you receive one as a gift this year, you're part of the rapidly growing ranks of fellow users. Expect the popularity of mobile design to grow accordingly. Multiple industry sources, such as Search Engine Land, predict that 22% of all searches will be done on mobile devices in 2012. That means your website must be compatible so that people can use and read your website on smaller screens.
Bye-Bye Flash
We've long had gripes about the frustrations of Flash and incompatibility issues on mobile devices. Now Wired.com reports that Adobe will soon stop developing Flash for mobile devices. Look instead to Javascript, CSS, and HTML5 to achieve similar effects.
Impactful Fonts and Photos
With the wider availability of font-replacement programs and faster processor speeds, we'll likely see a variety of new fonts (that are not necessarily web safe) and larger photos on websites in 2012. And look for continued good use of white space accented by fonts and large photos to make a strong visual impact.
Sophistication in Functionality
Designs will be simpler and more sophisticated at first glance while integrating complex functionality behind the scenes. This minimalistic design style offers easier access to information with simple, intuitive interfaces and cool features such as modal boxes.
Get Inline!
More mobile devices mean a greater need to present consistent, inline designs, achieved through responsive web design. This is the design and development of websites that change their layout according to the user's screen resolution to create a consistent experience across all devices. A singular look across web, mobile and tablet reinforces your brand.
QR Codes
You've likely seen QR codes on various print materials, even if you didn't recognize them as codes. Simply put, these two-dimensional serial numbers store plenty of info that can be scanned by smartphones and used to access special discounts, a web site and anything else your company wants to promote. Your web marketing strategies can now be executed through your print materials.