2021 will be another critical year for Web Design since the outbreak has forced many businesses to have an online presence. 

Here are five web design trends that are going to play an essential role this year.

Donald Norman introduced the emotional design concept in 2004, but it's been trending recently. Web Design is not going to be about only stylish anymore, but it also has to impact users. 

The emotional design focuses on delivering a clear message to make users emotionally engaged. 

It can be positive like happiness, elegance, humorous, or negative stuff such as sadness and sympathy.

There are no set rules, so designers can utilize any visual element on the webpage to achieve the result; for example, you can use a red color theme to create excitement or yellow for happiness.

Good content to provoke the thought: a stunning 3d visualization or video background to create memorable experiences or sentimental images for sympathy. Ultimately, the design's primary goal is to make an emotional impact that benefits your website objective the most.

Since 2018, WebXr is the latest virtual reality API that replaced WebVR. 

Now, developers can create a website to target both VR and AR on all devices with a single code release, and it requires minimal changes for code minions.

Now, the VR adoption rate is going strong, with one-fifth of the American population in 2020, so in 2021 we can expect to see more and more design and utilize virtual reality to visualize their products or experiences for users.

With the release of the latest macOS Big Sur, which features a colorful refresh design, it's almost sure that this will influence and inspire 2021 web design themes.

Big Sur also features a neomorphic style icon focused on simulating the light and shadow effect on the icon texture; now, we can expect to see a more colorful theme gradient-focused design and neomorphic user interfaces on new websites this year.

A few years ago, the 1080p resolution was pretty much standard, but now the 2k and 4k monitors are getting cheaper and more affordable. If your site is resolution-dependable, then it might not look so great on high-resolution monitors.

So, in 2021 and so on, web designers are trying to use vector graphics and CSS instead of rasterized assets. As for those invertible such as images or video background, they have to make sure that they are sufficient for 4k resolution.

Using a responsive layout is a must to make sure the website looks great on all devices.

3D and WebGL have been a trend for the past few years. Still, with more powerful CPU and GPU being released, especially the new Apple Ship M1, web designers are now encouraged to utilize 3d Engine on their website; even more, some of the 3d scenes that used to be structure is currently running at 60 frames per second with the latest generation of laptop and PC. With the combination of awesome WebGL, Javascript libraries like three.js and pixie.js, it's no surprise that we will see more and more 3d web design in 2021.

Whether you are looking at mostly technologies like languages, frameworks, tools, etc, not too much has changed over the last year in terms of new tech.

So, you will see a lot of the same stuff, but our commentary on everything is completely fresh.

The following is a roadmap for Web Developers and Business owners in 2021 that focuses mainly on technologies from frontend to backend, as well as some trends and guidance.  

Remember! Everyone has a different path and different goals, there's no one size fits all, and that's why this guide is so long because it’s full of choices depending on which path you plan to take, which language, and so on.

The guide doesn't choose your path for you…we let you know some own choices when it comes to technologies, but they are our opinions, so take those with a grain of salt.

Now, before talking about any specific technologies, we’ll go through them based on programming roles.

There are basically three main types:

First of all, we have a Frontend, the area of Web Development dealing with the front-facing website or user interface.

Frontend Web Developers are going to be working with HTML, CSS, SAS, JavaScript, maybe Typescript, most likely, a front-end framework like React.js or Vue.js, working with the document object model, and so on.

Secondly, we have Backend, the area of Web Development that handles the server-side and works with databases, creating REST API Web Services, etc.

There's a whole bunch of languages to choose from.

When you're dealing with the Backend, JavaScript is an option with Node.js or Python, PHP, C-Sharp, and many more.

While specific developers tend to focus on only Frontend or Backend, there are also full-stack developers which do both frontend and backend and is usually able to create some pretty powerful web applications.

A full-stack developer generally knows frontend and backend technologies.

Trend 1: Flat Design

Flat design is not a new trend in website design, but its popularity has increased. It's simplified, and in some cases, it can be a more approachable design for a user. It's also a design that's more adaptable for all device types. It's become popular because it's a design that's been created with minimalism in mind. It's a new trend in website design.

What is Flat Design?

The flat design is simple and easy to understand. It's a simple, flat design that will make for an intuitive experience for the users. In the past, websites would be chunky—a flat design to the eyes but text-heavy. The flat design avoids this by making the user focus on the content, the layout, and the visuals to tell a story. Flat design is great for a couple of reasons: You can create a user-friendly user experience and still make a powerful website. Your website will not be overwhelming or just a white space. You can show a lot of your content without a ton of distractions. You can do whatever you want, but then you don't have to worry about whether or not your users will be able to find the content they're looking for.

Why is Flat Design So Popular?

The flat design allows you to concentrate on a cleaner, more straightforward design. It's a design that embraces simplicity, and any over-use of colors or fonts does not clutter it. That means it's easy to navigate, and it's easy to find what you need quickly. It's a design that's focused on a consistent look throughout your website. It's also more efficient in many ways. For example, instead of struggling to find what you need, you can easily find what you want on your website. Flat design is also more comfortable to create. Once you have a flat design, it's easy to make your website from a template. This saves you time, and it indicates you don't need to consume a lot of money on a custom design.

What Are The Benefits Of Flat Design?

Flat design is the resolution to creating a more user-friendly website. Because it's less distracting and easier, users can navigate the website without paying too much time on the page. 2. Alignment. As an example of alignment, if you were to draw a line down the middle of a website page, the line's left side would be the top of the page. The top and the bottom line would have the same size, shape, and placement as each other. This is called alignment, and it's a term that describes how two things are next to each other in relationship to each other. Sometimes aligning alignments create consistency, which is a good thing.

Designing With Flat Design Principles

To make the most of the flat design trend, you need to pay attention to a few key elements. The color palette is limited in flat design, which can be the most intimidating aspect of this trend. But with a little creativity and guidance, you can find the right colors for a flat design. This means using the limited colors in the primary colors of the colorspace, such as CMYK. With the right colors, your website should come off as unique and fresh. It's also important to pay attention to gradients, shadows, and reflections. These can make a flat design stand out and make it look like a digital drawing. If done correctly, it can make a website look more professional. Flat design also doesn't allow for reflections in any images, so make sure to keep this in mind while designing.

Trend 2: Unique Colors

Choosing the right color scheme for your website is essential for creating a cohesive online presence. There are several different factors to consider when choosing a color scheme. For instance, what is the purpose of the website? What will the target audience be? What are the values of the company? Let's explore the best web design colors and how to use them.

The Best Web Design Colors

Choosing a color scheme is an excellent way to create a sense of visual unity on your website. Brands that have achieved this are more likely to gain traction in search results. There are several color schemes and hues that you can use on a website. Each shade has its own set of subtle and not-so-subtle different attributes that will bring your website and brand to life. Some of the most popular colors for your website include light gray, a new and elegant option. Bright, modern colors can sometimes clash with your website's design. So, if you choose light gray, be sure to use subtle details on the edges. Or turquoise, for example, a rich color. This hue brings a little bit of elegance to the design and has a vintage vibe that is perfect for young professionals. 

What Colors Mean To People

For many of us, color is a source of creativity. So it makes sense that a vast array of colors can inspire creativity. Also, there are many different shades of different colors that can express ideas or concepts that are particularly meaningful. Have a look at the green color, for example. It is the color of harmony. The reason for this is twofold. First, green conveys tranquility. It's a hue that evokes peace and nature. Also, green is associated with nature itself, which gives rise to inspiration. Green is often associated with growth. This inspires new ideas; it stimulates creativity. In our case, yellow often represents speed. We want to create a sense of speed and fast website creation for our customers. 

What Colors Should You Avoid?

In some ways, choosing the right color scheme is as much a matter of personality and values as talent and skill. A corporate website is more likely to be distinctive if it has a unique color scheme. However, we're all aware of websites that try too hard and then come up with a dull, unimaginative design that betrays a lack of imagination and has zero personality. If you're new to the web, it can be tempting to take a less creative approach. You might settle on a color scheme that's a reliable choice or one that you think is "safe," or you might choose a color scheme based on what you think the company or organization values or because it fits within a more traditional color palette, or because you like the primary or secondary color of a particular color.

Trend 3: Bold Typography

How do you make your blog stand out? Typography can be a powerful way to set your blog apart from the rest of the world. Take a look at this blog post and see if you can spot the differences in the layout. You'll notice that the blog post with the bold typography has a more noticeable title and stand-out text, making it more visually appealing.

How To Create Bold Typography?

For maximum impact, bold typography is best used in a header and headlines. Websites using bold typography are more visually appealing. The most important text is large and bold, making it easier to read and remember the key points of your website. To create the same effect on your website or blog, choose a style and weight of typeface and use it across the whole website. A good bet is a sans-serif, like Calibri or Gilder. Use a solid background color, preferably white, and use the text to stand out. Consider using bold heading figures such as @ to draw attention to important parts of the text.

Fonts To Use

The easiest way to incorporate bold typography into your blog layout is to use a typeface with a lot of contrast between its thick and thin lines. I love using Palatino for its simplicity, elegance, and modern vibe. The font was designed by Leonardo da Vinci, which makes it even more valuable to use your blog. What's even more interesting, Palatino is the default font of Microsoft Word and has been around since the mid-19th century. These two pieces of information make it one of the most versatile fonts for creating contrast and catchy headlines. If you're feeling creative, you can add an all-over pattern to highlight the dominant fonts and integrate them into the blog design.

Combining Fonts

If you've ever wanted to make your blog stand out, you may have been interested in combining fonts to achieve a bold look. However, creating this effect can be quite a tricky task and often look quite jarring on the web. This is something you don't want to do for a blog post unless it's essential to the content itself. I'm referring to only using your existing fonts.

Trend 4: Interactive Website

Interactive websites are a powerful way to engage your audience. An interactive website can be anything from a simple blog post with a comment section to a virtual world with chat rooms, shopping, and more. You must know where to start, and the best way to do that is by breaking down the process.

What Is An Interactive Website?

Simply put, an interactive website responds to your visitors. They do things like respond to click and input. That means that you have to provide information through screens. Why should you make an interactive website? First, you can use interactive websites to draw users in, establish trust, and engage them. An interactive website should also be able to produce more conversions. Interacting with a page allows people to browse and learn more. They can view your product, sign up, or make a purchase. There are some great benefits to creating an interactive website. For starters, it's much easier to use. You don't need a lot of skill and knowledge to design a website, primarily if you use our website builder.

What Are The Benefits Of An Interactive Website?

You get instant feedback from your audience, letting them interact with you and your content. You can host multiple discussions simultaneously. You can gauge your audience's needs and desires better, and you can hone in on your target audience. Interactive websites are like power tools. Instead of a hammer, you're a hammer with a saw, a screwdriver, and sawblades. Beyond the benefits of an interactive website, the design, development, and implementation of interactive websites is a beautiful blend of art and science. This is where art and science meet and what you need to know to make the most of your interactive website — build trust by proving you know what you're talking about. Visual communication is critical for gaining confidence.

Trend 5: Parallax

With the parallax effect, you can create a website with a 3D appearance using an illusion of depth. The parallax effect is an advanced web design technique that makes an interactive, animated scrolling motion. This effect is accomplished by adding multiple background images to the background of a web page. Let me show you how to use the parallax effect to create an intriguing website design. 

What Is The Parallax Effect?

This is the basic definition of the parallax effect: It's a type of illusion in which objects or images float in mid-air on the internet or print pages. It's widespread in both movies and television shows. In the film, people walk under a chandelier, and the light falling on their faces creates a stunning effect. In TV shows, people look into a projector, and the images behind are seen in a 3D setting. The parallax effect is becoming increasingly popular on the web. You can use it for your website designs as well. The parallax effect in website design is a trending technique because people nowadays want their website to look as immersive as possible.

How To Create A Parallax Design?

Some WordPress themes have it as a standard feature. But if you know a bit of coding, you can do it yourself. Start by adding background Images to an embedded image. The Image that you want to create a parallax effect for must be embedded within the website. To create a parallax effect using an embedded image, go to your desired image file and save it in the web browser. Add a layer, label it #background-image. Please create a new layer, name it #image-background-layer. Replace the text layer from the Image (in the image below, the text layer indicates the layer that contains the text) with your text. Once you are done, go to Filters -> Levels in the same menu as the Image and change the exposure to Darken and shadow-lighten modes. After doing that, save the new layer as a background layer for the Image. That's it.

Why The Parallax Effect?

Many people think that the parallax effect is similar to the line drawings that were popular in the early 2000s. However, there are some crucial differences. The first difference is that the three-dimensional appearance of the website design is created using two images. As you scroll down the page, each Image moves with it and appears to come from different angles. The second difference is that the images are always moving. As you scroll down the page, one background image moves while the other remains still. As you scroll up the page, the one that is still will move again while the other will stay still. This creates an illusion of depth.

Conclusion 

We have a hard time stopping at just five web design trends, but we pointed out the most important ones, in our opinion. So, if you've noticed a particular direction we haven't featured, let us know about it in the comments. Or, maybe even showcase an incredibly creative way to implement it into your website. And don't forget to bookmark this article for later reference. We'll be sure to add more popular trends to the list in the future.