The internet has changed dramatically in the last decade. Its speed of evolution has meant that nearly all elements of human life have come to depend on its function in one way or another. That dependency is only likely to grow as new technologies are developed.

One area that helped fuel its rapid rise is design. In the 90s, websites consisted solely of text and background images that made for an uninspiring browsing experience. Fast forward to the present day and sites have now become all-singing, all-dancing multimedia havens. It’s that sheer variety on offer that has partly been responsible for the downfall of the print industry.

The way in which websites are built has also undergone a similar transition. Investment, time, people, and skill were all involved in building sites of yesteryear. Now anyone with basic computer knowledge can design and build their website. The trend of handing over the design-reigns to the wider public is one that is set to evolve in the years ahead.

Power to the People

Popular website builders such as Sitejet are likely to continue to grow in popularity heading into the next decade. They give consumers the ability to build their own website quickly using a simple drag and drop format.

As they grow so will the number of customization options. Artistic compromises will become a thing of the past as users get to choose between a fuller range of features, colors and design options. Many of the best website builders already allow users to add custom code to a chosen theme.

The ease of using these website builders, along with the cost-saving incentives and customizations choices, will mean fewer businesses will need custom-built sites in the future.

Overlapping

Internet pages are, for the most part, organized in terms of their layout. They feature individual sections for each feature and convey information clearly through separated pieces of text and imagery.

Layers, however, could be set to change all that. Overlapping design features on top of each other, such as using text in front of a video, will help to create a new sense of depth to websites. It will also add a much-needed design twist to conventional – and repetitive – layouts.

New Textures and Patterns

One way a company is likely to use design to make their website stand out in 2019 is by changing the background of their site. Traditionally, most websites feature a plain white background so that text is easily eligible.

Technology advancements now mean that designers can use animated textures or embedded videos to help make a certain piece of copy on their website pop. They also have the choice of more textures and patterns – some of which don’t exist in the human world – to use as a background stylistic choice.

Bolder Fonts Choices

Attention-grabbing typefaces have been a stalwart of web design for the last five years. While that trend will continue, it’s the choice of fonts that may surprise in the years ahead.

Marketing platform MailChimp provided the perfect demonstration of this in September when they relaunched their website using a traditional Cooper Light font. This was the perfect demonstration of how sometimes going against a trend can help you attract the most attention.