22 UI and Web Design Trends for 2022 You Need to Know

This year’s web design trends will make you take another look at color, typography, page speed, and even mouse pointers. There’s something new for everyone this year, so let’s get started.

1. Bold Colors

When it comes to web design color trends, 2022 is the year to go bold. Consider opting for a bright, saturated palette instead of soft, neutral tones. For example, high-contrast graphics, such as black letters on a yellow background, will get millennial viewers’ attention.

When certain colors are paired, the combination creates a vibrant, energetic effect. On the other hand, the absence of color can be just as dramatic. Here are some color combinations that will help you go bold:

Blue and orange
Red and green
Purple and yellow
Black and white

Color can also convey an idea or point of view. For example, you can use green to send a message that you sell natural products. Add splashy shapes and smiling faces to your bold colors for a positive, fun impression.

2. Bold Fonts and Brutalism

Another fresh website trend is the use of large, bold fonts. This typography style, known as brutalism, makes a website stand out with a rugged, urban vibe. Oversized text becomes a graphic element that works with both minimalist and maximalist styles. For example, large text over an image or video creates interest without clutter. For a minimalist design, oversized text on a neutral background sets a subtle, sophisticated tone.

Raw, bold, and even ugly are terms that describe brutalist web design. Beauty is not the goal here. Some features seen in brutalist websites include:

Black and white color scheme
Lack of imagery
Asymmetrical design
One font throughout the website
No gradients
Crowded or overlapping elements

Brutalist websites have many features in common, but there are no hard and fast rules. So feel free to experiment with colors, fonts, headers, paragraphs, or any other use of oversized typography.

3. Oversized Mouse Pointers

Oversized pointers are another feature in current web design trends. This design element can make your website stand out and improve user experience (UX). You can use shape, color, transparency, and even animation to enhance mouse pointers.

Circular pointers are a popular option within the oversized pointer trend. Examples include:

Bright red circle that changes shape or size as it hovers over clickable content.
Traditional arrow pointer outlined by a circle
Pulsating circle resembling a tracking device

4. Scrolling Text Options

Strategic use of scrolling text is an eye-catching way to get your message across. When used correctly, the text remains readable as it scrolls across the screen. A common technique is to let oversized, outlined letters move across an image from right to left. You can use scrolling text in many ways, including:

Text continuously scrolls onto the page
Text moves onto the page and then remains stationary
Text scrolls in one direction and then bounces back
It’s best to limit the use of scrolling text to short, memorable phrases. For ease of use, important content such as a call to action or “contact us” information should remain static on the page

5. Mega Footers

Even something as commonplace as a webpage footer made the list of 2022 website design trends. Mega footers have become indispensable for websites that contain a lot of information and options for engagement. So why not divide the footer into separate sections for each function?

For example, a footer on a website could contain one section for newsletter signups, another with menu options, and a third section for disclaimers, privacy policy, and other legal matters. Users can find and access whatever functions they need in one convenient location.

Get to know some best practices for designing mega footers:

Include social media buttons
Organize important page categories into columns
Display a signup form for emails
Boost brand awareness by including logos, colors, or icons associated with your brand

6. Inclusivity

From inclusive language to gender-neutral images, web design standards have evolved to make websites more welcoming for everyone. Web designers consider certain variables and their impact across race, ability, gender, age, and culture. Any combination of the following variables may be relevant:

Language
Text legibility
Alt text
Tone of voice
Gender-neutral color
Imagery

For example, web designers are becoming more mindful that both women and men use power tools and kitchen equipment. Therefore, a company that sells bakeware will avoid a pink color scheme so that customers of all genders can relate to the product pages.

7. Quick-Loading Pages

It’s no secret that page speed is a crucial consideration for web design. Slow page loading can negatively affect conversion rates. For example, 40 percent of users will leave a website that takes 3 seconds or more to load. A delay of just 1 second can mean a 7 percent decrease in conversions. Plus, page speed now tops SEO in Google’s algorithms.

You can improve page speed in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s as simple as decreasing the number of fonts. Other techniques include:

Avoiding the use of plug-ins
Preloading heavily used links
Configuring images to load only when they appear on the screen

8. Personalized Content

Websites can track customer browsing history, location, and other metrics, so personalized content is a key website design trend in 2022. A retail website, for example, can increase conversions by displaying recently viewed or saved products. When a customer visits a real estate website, they may see a display of properties in previously searched zip codes. Effective personalization techniques include:

Personalized landing pages
Recommendations
Overlays and popups
Personalized navigation bar
Personalized search results
Personalized call to action (CTA)

According to one report, a personalized CTA can increase conversions by 202 percent. Personalization is a trend worth following.

9. Chatbots Are More Sophisticated

Thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, chatbots have become more sophisticated. Shoppers and website users have come to rely on chatbots to provide customer service. This technology can handle simple requests such as “where is my package?” Some of the chatbot trends that we will see in 2022 are:

Rich media chatbots
Online retail returns
Natural, conversational tone
Ability to take payments
Multilingual chatbots

A chatbot can keep customers up-to-date about service upgrades, product launches, and special promotions as it answers customer questions. Your company also saves money when customers communicate with a chatbot instead of a live person.

10. Voice Activation

One of the newer developments in 2022 website design trends is voice activation. In an age of chatbots and virtual assistants, ease of use is a key consideration for any website. Let’s face it: it’s much easier for a customer to speak their request than to type it.

With voice recognition accuracy greater than 90 percent, it’s time to include voice activation in your list of web design must-haves. Whether it’s FAQs or searches, you’ll be providing your customers with a seamless, convenient user interface (UI).

Now that most smart devices are equipped with voice search capabilities, it makes sense for websites to include this technology. Web users are now accustomed to using voice search as a convenient tool when they’re on the go. You won’t see voice activation on every website, but it is a trend that will likely gain momentum.

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11. Accessibility

Accessibility is a component of inclusivity, but it is also a web design trend on its own. The goal is to design a website that everyone, including people living with disabilities, can use comfortably. Greater accessibility leads to a larger audience and better customer service and can help increase conversions.

Web design techniques that improve accessibility include:

Greater contrast between background and foreground
Interactive elements that are easy to identify and accessible by keyboard
White space and headings to mark content groups
Alt text to help visually impaired users understand an image (great for SEO, too!)

With more than 60 million adults living with disabilities in the United States alone, accessible web design is the right thing to do and makes sense for business.

12. Text-Only Hero

The hero is the first thing a visitor to your website will see. Similar to above-the-fold newspaper content, it’s your chance to capture the user’s attention with an eye-catching message. The hero traditionally includes a photo with text. However, the text-only hero is one of the top web design trends in 2022.

Large, bold text and imaginative use of color tell your story without the use of distracting images. Try using a unique font that you would not usually choose. Remember, the emphasis is on content. A text-only hero puts your brand message front and center.

13. Split Screen

Whether it’s divided vertically or horizontally, a split-screen is an effective layout for displaying two important ideas, products, or services. It works best with a simple, minimalist design. You’ll want to allow plenty of empty or negative space. Avoid a split-screen if your website contains a growing amount of content.

Design elements in a split-screen can include:

Vibrant colors
Bold typography
Layer text or other elements across both sides for visual flow
Text on one side and image on the other side
A screen that splits after the user starts to scroll

14. Glassmorphism

With a bit of shimmer here and some transparency there, your design elements can look like glass. Glassmorphism is an optical illusion created using diffusion, reflection, and shadow. In addition, glassmorphism creates a 3D effect, making objects appear to pop out of the screen.

Another glasslike effect is the frosted glass look. A blurred image shows through a frosted overlay while the text remains clear and readable over the image. With this website design trend, you can use transparency without the visual clutter.

A word of caution: when overused, glassmorphism can make a page less readable for people with vision issues. For a readable UI:

Avoid blurring in interactive areas
Define areas with borders and shadows
Make sure that there is enough contrast between text and background
Group related content together

15. Scrollytelling

Want to transform your content into a dynamic, interactive UX? This effect works exceptionally well with long-form, chronological content. As the user scrolls through the web page, a series of audio and visual media tell a story and prompt the user to continue scrolling. Horizontal scrolling adds even more interest and variety to the experience.

Also known as “narrative visualization,” scrollytelling uses a combination of effects to tell a story. These include:

Large images
Dynamic text
Color shifts
Soft transitions
Sounds

16. Horizontal Scrolling

As mentioned above, horizontal scrolling adds a bit of surprise to UX. This is one of the current web design trends that works best for image-rich content. Scrolling from side to side feels like flipping through catalog pages or poring over a map. This effect is well-suited for many types of websites, including:

Photography
Travel
Product catalogs
Fashion trends
Home and garden ideas

17. Multilayering

In 2022, website design trends are moving away from the clean, minimalist look and venturing into more complex effects. Multilayered content is one example, with layers of images, text, and animation creating a satisfying visual experience. The content does not appear cluttered, even with the various design elements.

An important multilayering guideline is to avoid overdoing it. Stick to an overall theme, such as antique or industrial, and keep page elements to a minimum. Multilayer design can quickly turn into confusing clutter when adding too many layers or elements.

You can create a variety of effects by experimenting with color, image size, and the number of layers. For example, you can create depth using background, midground, and foreground layers. A large background image or dark background color will give the page an overall unified appearance.

18. Handmade Graphics

Even with all the advanced web design trends, 2022 brings a renewed longing for a human touch. Handmade graphics may be imperfect, but they create a cozy, relatable vibe that technology can’t beat. When paired with computer-generated graphics, handmade graphics add balance and warmth.

An almost endless variety of materials and techniques are available for handmade graphics:

Crayon drawings for a textured effect
Scribbles and doodles
Paper cutouts
Fabrics and yarn
Handmade stamps
And whatever else you can imagine!

19. Gradients

If you’re looking for a striking background or texture without imagery, take a look at gradients. Although they’ve been around for years, gradients are now more versatile than ever. When used as a background, they create depth and drama. In 2022, however, you’ll be seeing more imaginative uses and effects with this tool.

You don’t have to keep gradients in the background. For a greater impact, web designers are using them as color fills for text. Grainy gradients create texture in 3D illustrations and give the appearance of an analog film. Other uses for gradients include:

Overlays
Icons
Logos
Buttons
Animation

20. Negative Space

Negative space makes it easier for users to read and scan the content on your website. On the other hand, too much content with too many options makes the page confusing and takes the focus off your brand message. Also known as “white space,” negative space simply refers to leaving blank space between areas of content. The space does not necessarily have to be white; it just needs to be free of content. The question is, do you want your website to have the most content crammed into a page or the best design? Websites in 2022 will feature clever use of negative space and a more comfortable UX.

You can create negative space in many different ways, such as:

Margins or borders between columns, images, or other large elements
Space between lines, paragraphs, icons, or other small elements
Reduced number of elements on the page
Dropdown options that simplify navigation

The question is, do you want your website to have the most content crammed into a page or the best design? Websites in 2022 will feature smart use of negative space and a more comfortable UX.

21. Vintage

The flip side of the bold, innovative trend is a return to vintage style. Maybe it’s a longing for an escape to a simpler time after two years of pandemic stress. Whatever the reason, you’ll find retro elements among website design trends in 2022. For that nostalgic touch, try incorporating some of these:

Pastel tones
Soft lighting
Curvy fonts or romantic
Blur
Grain
Bright colors of the 1990s
Typewriter-like fonts, such as Courier

22. One-Page Websites

Does your website have a narrow subject matter or simple idea? Consider a one-page website, a trend especially suited to photography, art, or a single product or service. Like a single-page brochure or poster, a one-page website does not have a menu or multiple pages to navigate.

Examples of a one-page website include:

A digital resume that potential clients can see all at once
List of example projects
Café menu with images of menu items
Mobile app promotion and download
Event websites advertising ticket sales, dates, location, and other information

You can make the page as simple as you like, entirely omitting images, fancy scrolling effects, and overlays. Or you can get creative and add animation and other effects to make your single page memorable and entertaining.

Web design standards evolve year after year, and 2022 is no exception. With an increasing emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity, more users than ever will be benefitting from the latest trends. So get started with some of those fresh design ideas!

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