Web trends for 2022

Keeping abreast of the latest website trends can put your company on the front foot and ensure you start the new year in fine fashion.

Here are some website trends we think will make a big impact in 2022, along with some to avoid at all costs!

Less imagery and video in heroes – HIT

Something we saw a lot of last year (which actually inspired some of our recent work!) was the move away from hero images and video to homepages that speak in design.

Whilst hero images and videos offer huge value by creating immediate visual impact, they can sometimes distract users from the key focus of the page.

Whilst it’s great to visually showcase your business, not showcasing everything right away can create intrigue.

By putting the focus on style and content by creating different layouts, shapes, colours and typography, a stronger brand identity and personality can be communicated.

Big interactive typography – HIT 

Words are fundamental to any website experience but when used at a certain size, they can become a core graphic element, which can add a fresh and bolder feature to a website.

Adding text that moves across images and video can help breathe life into a flat and static website experience.

Different effects can be used for different creative concepts, but it’s incredibly important not to sacrifice legibility.

To see an example of this, check out the Rugby School example shown below, by clicking here.

Expect to see a lot more of this in 2022.

The need for speed … Page speed! – HIT

With Google making speed an important consideration in their latest algorithm update, it became an even greater consideration for those of us building websites.

Research shows that more than half of website visitors will abandon a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, and user expectations are only going to get higher in 2022.

Whilst you’re carefully designed loading screen animation might be nice to look at – gone are the days users are happy to wait patiently!

Dynamic content – HIT

Whilst dynamic content isn’t necessarily a new discovery, the advancement of no-code web technologies has meant that it’s not just something available to those with limitless budgets.

We’ve seen first-hand this requirement pop up in many website briefs this year as organisations look to drive better engagement and conversion rates whilst minimising content writing effort.

Clever tools and algorithms within many modern-day open source web technologies allow the user to display different information to users based on browser history, location or purchasing habits.

Wave bye to the carousel – MISS

Carousels have been permanent fixtures within websites for years.

Mainly because they provide the website owner with the ability to list lots of information hidden until the user interacts with it.

However, as Google begins to prioritise load speeds, carousels can prove detrimental to the website experience.

Research shows that the majority of users rarely interact with a carousel and therefore don’t even see the content behind it.

As a result, you should begin to think about what the most important part of that carousel is and just present that.

You can always replace it from time to time to keep the page fresh.

Complex navigation – MISS

Even to this day, we’re still surprised when we see difficult to navigate websites that employ multiple navigation and menu options.

However, we’re seeing the consensus shift back towards simple traditional navigation styles that let the overall design do the creative talking.

A slick and simple navigation should never be sacrificed for enhanced (or in this case diminished) creativity.

Navigation is one of the most important website features (if not the most important!) so be sure to allow your user to find the content they are looking for at ease.

And there are plenty more …

We’re expecting a year where many website trends are presented to the community, as designers and builders look to step away from styles and features that have become ubiquitous over the last few years.

Not all trends will be here to stay though, so we recommend approaching with caution.

If you’re unsure as to what to look out for in 2022 or require some further website ideas and inspiration, then get in touch with our team who would be more than happy to share their thoughts.