New Design Trends

Serif fonts aren’t purely for serious sites or official section titles. These fonts are usually modernized in some way to make them mesh better with the freer, more informal nature of sans-Serif fonts. Of the major trends that are rolling out in 2017, this is arguably one of the most muted, but it is also notable in a very subdued way. Fonts are a rather important means of communicating intent of text as well as page intent. Consider a page written using entirely Times New Roman – it conjures up an image of newsprint, reports and college papers, and lends a very official, almost stuffy air to the page. But modernized Serif fonts aren’t so stuffy and can lend flair to titles that goes beyond the usual “formal” box they’ve existed in for the last few years.

Greenery is the color of the year – and we’re not saying that just because it’s part of what makes NewLeaf into what it is. Green is associated with new beginnings, with the growth of something new – and in uncertain times that green is very, very welcome. Moreover, this green is paired with the rise of more natural and neutral palettes of color – in sharp contrast to 2016’s use of much brighter colors. Green doesn’t have to dominate, of course, but natural and neutral palettes means colors that are more subdued and come together to create a more textured, natural feeling aesthetic.

Another color scheme is also on the rise – or return, depending on how you look at it: gradients. Where some sites are taking advantage of the neutral/natural and minimalist blend, others are reviving a design trend that had fallen out of favor: bold colors mixed with the classic, no-nonsense design principles of minimalism. Gradients offer one such approach, allowing for bold, bright colors to play across web pages and catch the eye, leading it naturally through an otherwise stark white and black framework.

Something that NewLeaf recently started using is the megamenu – a form of navigation that is catching on more and more. In sharp contrast to the super-compact and hyper-efficient “hamburger” menu, megamenus go big and show big. This form of navigation turns the header from its usual reserved size to an expansive and engaging menu that offers the user an immediate understanding of the scope of the site and provides useful links directly to an expansive number of pages. Megamenus shift navigation from big ideas to focused needs. This megamenu in particular is one we set up on Birdwell Beach Britches.

If you’re hungry for more on the ever-evolving world of web design trends, check out this handy hubspot article. It’ll sate your hunger until the design paradigms that govern the world of web shift again.