The digital world evolves at a dizzying pace, and there are always new trends for developers and clients to consider as they build new websites. Whether you are creating a fresh campaign site or evolving an existing corporate website, here are five of the biggest trends that you need to know about this year.

Image Credit

Rich typography

Developers really embraced typography in 2016, and this year, the trend moves toward a far richer use of the visual medium. Designers are increasingly working in formats that allow type to take centre stage of the screen instead of putting wording second to imagery. Website typography will create increasing contrasts by setting type against images, effects and video

Great use of Javascript

Last year saw a tremendous evolution of Javascript, and this year looks to see similar gains. The increasing role of Javascript is facilitating virtual reality, chatbots, IoT and more, with its role in digital development becoming more integral and established.

Micro-interactions

These are the moments when a digital user carries out a website interaction, whether it’s completing a form field, sending a message or tweeting. The aim of these moments is to give guidance and feedback. These interactions are valuable and can end up defining the whole online product.

More development and design collaboration

This year will see more collaboration between functions that were previously approached in a separate way. With better tools such as Figma and Webflow, developers and designers can gain an increasing appreciation of what the other role involves. This will increase output, productivity and the speed of development. An agency specialising in web design in Essex will show this approach in the way that their project teams are organised. Find out more at sites like https://webwax.co.uk/.

Image Credit

GIFs and greater use of interactive imagery

People naturally engage better with imagery, and the use of cinema graphs will encourage users to do just that. GIFs will also be used more widely, allowing developers to tell stories in a more engaging way than would be possible with a still image. The use of both will increase this year, leading to more visually compelling websites.

Which of these developments will you consider for your website this coming year? How could they be used to strengthen your offer and engage your prospects?