The year of 2012 is already knocking at our doors, inviting us to step forward and to open ourselves for changes, new events and tendencies. What will it bring to us? And what we can wait from it? These questions can’t get absolutely exact answers, but, nevertheless, being observant enough you will manage to notice certain hints that will help you to understand tomorrow spirit. And speaking about web design trends, you can already find some experts recommendations and forecasts concerning their new tendencies. Web design trends 2012 surely can not be described in one article, besides, very often the shift in trends is subtle and some of them may seem already familiar, but if you look more attentively you will notice that they are changing simultaneously with our life rhythm.
Responsive Web Design
It is supposed that in 2012 responsive web design will continue its development becoming more usual and frequent used by web designers and developers. The qualitative leap in the process of responsive web design adoption will cause, in its turn, more often usage of fluid layouts (instead of fixed width) making it possible to view sites across multiple screen sizes and devices without any problem.
CSS3 and HTML5 instead Flash.
Flash has already started to loose its popularity because of its inability to work properly with mobile devices. Besides, CSS3 and HTML5 offer many benefits – interactivity, the ability of a faster loading and etc, being able to prove that they are the technologies of future, but not just a Flash replacement.
User Experience / User Interface
As users are looking for simplicity, easy navigation and usability according to the device they use, this item will be one of the most popular in the year of 2012.
One Page Layouts
One page layouts can easily leave far behind unimportant details and concentrate the attention on the main idea. Next year one page layouts are expected to avoid quirky navigation,become more minimal and mostly about personal profiles.
Oversized Logos/ Headers
Next year, it is recommended to use oversized logos and equally oversized headers. It will help to make your web site more memorable and impressive one. A big header will easily perform a function of a splash page with no need in clicking anything. Your visitors will be able just to scroll down.
Big Footer
The role of the footer will be more prominent – it will be oversized more creative (graphics, eye-catching designs, increased content) and will contain more personal information.
Display items
It has been noticed that the number of the tutorials that are devoted to the creation of banners, page ribbons, bookmarks, or other types of display badges has obviously increased. These materials are rather needed during the last 6 month and often used in web design creation. Surely they will not become less popular next year.
Multi-Column Menus
One more tendency that will characterize web design 2012 is location of the core links towards the top of pages. Such layouts are very original and have a simple navigation. This is a new chance to realise your creativity and to find the best ways of the link and site design unity – for example, you can make this section fitted squarely around your logo.
Social Media Features
Share buttons and other social media features will be one of the most often used elements in web design. They already play a very important role and it is impossible to find a web site without them. Social and web design are seem to be even more linked in the future.
More 3D Effects
3D effects will be a natural part of web design, being able to make a huge impression on visitors. They will be often used and their popularity will obviously increase.
Typography
Today many browsers support different types of font that is why it has become possible to use lettering in a creative and original manner. Typography has already become an important part of web design and this tendency will surely continue, it is expected to become more interesting and artistic.
Big images
It doesn’t matter if image is used as a background or in order to illustrate a certain context. A big image will manage to pay attention to your site, being not a part of your site’s branding, as logo or header. It will manage to draw the visitors into your site. The tendency of the next year is to use one big image, instead of several small ones and add it with few simple words.
Rich Colors and Textures
Minimalism in design was very popular during the last years and it is supposed that web sites will not loose the tendency of big white space , but, nevertheless, the color scheme will be changed into a more rich and fresh one and texture will be paid more attention in the next year.
Hand-drawn Design
This trend is not a new one itself, but it is expected to become more elemental and to be used in order to personalize a standard web copy, making it more original and memorable.
Retro
Retro style is still popular in web design, making site original and unique. The interest towards retro style in 2012 will, surely, not disappear and there will be, certainly, new nice works created with its usage.
