2020 Web Design Trends

2020 Web Design and Small Business Trends

Predicting the 2020 web design trends for 2020 is always interesting and is my favorite article to write each year.   Guessing the trends and seeing what is trending versus the following year is fun.  It gets my creative juices flowing and excited for the new year.   Want to see what I choose for the 2019 Web Design Trends?  So here goes my Web Design Trends for 2020.

  1. Soft shadows

2020 Web Design Trends - Soft Shadows

Photo Credits:  Medipreneurs

Soft shadows around pictures and other elements give your designs a 3-dimensional look.  It especially looks good on websites with lots of white space as the images pop out of the screen.

 

  1. Mixing photography and font

2020 Web Design Trends - Mixing Font with Photography and Graphics

Photo credit:  Canva

This is not a new design trend at all but we are seeing more photography and web design graphics fixed with font.   Where there is empty space in the picture creates the perfect opportunity to add text.  Take a look at these great instructions on how to add font with pictures.

 

 

  1. More videos

2020 Web Design Trends - Videos Embedded into Website

Photo Credit:  Traffickwatch

Videos are still a trend in 2020.  Videos on your website, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, and more.  Expect to continue to see video clips on websites, like blog articles, and stories.  I’ve partnered with a videographer this year because I’m getting more client requests for video work.  Expect video to be a big part of web design this year.

 

4. Customer Service and Customer-Driven Experiences

2020 Web Design Trends - Customer Service is not dead

 

Customer services Is NOT dead.   Businesses are taught to start streamlining your business processes and getting your customers into processes.  You can take on more work which results in higher income.   But some of these processes take away a customer service experience.   Don’t take out the customer service to your business.   Keep in personalized.

 

We have become a society of dehumanization by talking to customers via text or email.   Get out of your mold and talk to your customers on the phone.  Or meet them for coffee or at a co-working space. Get to know them and their goals.  Support them along their journey rather than thinking of them as just a customer so that you can get paid.   Create a personalized experience.   I’ve gotten more compliments and feedback on the ability for me to create personalized approaches to doing business.   Think of it as creating business relationships rather than a consumer you will not see again.   Finding a customer is 100x harder than retaining your existing customers.   Work on building relationships more than working on creating a sale.  You’ll see it go far in the business of your website.

 

5. Membership websites

2020 Web Design Trends - Membership Websites

Photo Credit:  Medipreneurs Membership

Online course creation by mini-experts is now a 1 billion dollar business and expected to become a 10 billion dollar business over the next 10 years.   There are niches of experts out there creating membership websites for you to learn and grow with other like-minded people.   Leaders are starting to offer membership websites to start sharing new data, create mini-courses, and create a community.   Membership websites are perfect if you have several mini-courses you want to teach and continue to teach.  Membership websites are also perfect for businesses and customers that can only pay a smaller amount…usually broken out monthly versus creating one big course at a bigger price. We expect to see more membership course style websites in 2020 as more businesses look into this type of income stream.

 

6. Hand-drawn Icons

2020 Web Design Trends - Hand Drawn Icons

Photo Credit:  Piatt Park Dental

This is my favorite web design trend for 2020.  I love icons and love how more and more illustrators are creating hand-drawn icons.  I started adding more icons into my web designs in late 2019 and already have added more in for 2020.   The simple hand-drawings make websites human and unique.  Adding them to your brand colors adds more style.

 

7. TikTok

2020 Web Design Trends - TikTok

 

This is not necessarily a web design trend but a small business trend.  If you don’t know what TikTok is, it is a video platform…filled with dance moves and funny things.  It is huge among teenagers right now.  It’s also new…which is the perfect opportunity to get into the platform EARLY.  I’m hearing from some colleagues in the design industry that their views related to their business are getting huge views…especially compared to other social media platforms with saturated users and lots of competition.   Try it out and see how your video does!

 

8. Different Shaped Footers

2020 Web Design Trends - Different Shaped Footers - ETSY footer

2020 Web Design Trends - Different Shaped Footers - Memberpress footer

Photo Credit:  ETSY and MemberPress

The boring rectangular footer is getting a facelift.  I’m seeing more and more websites with ripped border footers (ahem!  That’s me.), wavy footer bottoms, half circles, etc.   Making footers more than square is a trend to see more and more in 2020.

 

9. Overlapping layers

2020 Web Design Trends - Images Overlap

Photo Credit:  Create IT Web Designs

Overlapping layers were big in 2019 and we continue to see overlapping layers be big in 2020.  No longer the boring square boxes but overlapping images are the norm.  Creating a flow with your website where some sections, paragraphs, boxes, and images overlap to create a nice visual appearance with your website.

 

10. Bright and fluorescent colors

2020 Web Design Trends - Bright Colors

Photo Credit:  Cyclemon

Bring on the color!   Bright colors are huge right now.  Having your brand stand out amongst the competition is being done with color.  I’m seeing more and more clients not going with the 3 color palette with their brand but going with 5-7 colors.   It adds so much creativity with the website adding complimentary colors…especially bright ones.   Continue to see brands going bold with their color to attract consumers to their brand in 2020.

Conclusion

Looking at the 2020 Web Design trends is always inspiring.  However, I always tell my customers to look at what their brand represents and their personal likes and dislikes.   You don’t always need to choose every trending element.  Choose what is best for your business and your personal tastes.  Your business should represent you and attract your ideal customer most importantly.

Jessica Rhoades

Jessica Rhoades

Jessica Rhoades is the Owner and Designer at Create IT Web Designs. Among her greatest passions are web design, SEO, helping small businesses succeed, bicycling, traveling, and making lists.

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