Five Top Web Design Trends of 2024 (So Far)

Now we’re more than halfway through it, 2024 is proving to be yet another significant year for web design. We’re starting to see more and more websites that don’t just rip up the rulebook, but stamp on it and set fire to it for good measure. The established web design conventions that were once so prevalent are fading away, making room for ever more adventurous, experimental approaches that surprise users and force them to take notice.

Why is this? Well, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out online. If your competitors are pushing the boundaries and creating websites that captivate users, you have two choices: outdo them or fade into the background. For ambitious, hungry brands, the latter simply isn’t an option – hence why we’re seeing so many groundbreaking designs at the moment.

Although there’s been an abundance of creativity in the world of web design this year, there are still a number of recurring trends that continue to crop up. Below, we’re going to take a look at five of the most significant, covering everything from design elements to UX-focused tech.

AI integrations become commonplace

Like it or not, AI is here to stay – and web developers the world over have been busy integrating it into their sites in a whole host of different ways. Most AI integrations take the form of a chatbot, much like ChatGPT or Google’s competitor Gemini. Essentially, they’ve begun gradually replacing the more primitive chat systems we’re used to seeing on websites, helping answer customers’ questions in a more helpful, more interactive and more human way.

This is only the beginning of what’s possible with AI, of course. Over the next few years, we expect to see these increasingly advanced chatbots appearing on more and more ecommerce sites, reducing the need for customers to interact directly with members of your team.

Throwback design gains popularity

There’s more than a whiff of nostalgia in the air at the moment. Let’s call it a stench. Throwback content and design has been a running theme throughout the year so far, spreading throughout social media and the world of design as a whole.

From retro ‘80s theming to Y2K-inspired menus that look like something you might see on a Nokia 3310, designers have continued to find new and exciting ways to tap into that part of our brain that yearns for simpler times.

Not only can throwback designs enrich a brand’s personality, but they can also help bring content to life in a more engaging way, connecting with users on a deeper level and building brand loyalty.

Gradients reappear

We never thought we’d see the day, but here we are: gradients are making a comeback, big time. For years, gradient colouring used to evoke memories of amateurish flyers designed on Microsoft Publisher and the early days of the web, before social media giants like Facebook ushered in a new wave of minimalist, somewhat clinical design.

But now, they’re being used once again as a central design element. We’re seeing gradient colour schemes pop up across the internet, perhaps in some part due to the renaissance of the Y2K aesthetic. Either way, gradients make a change from the more simplistic block colours we’ve become accustomed to.

Photos and videos take centre stage

In the world of ecommerce, photos and videos are beginning to dominate web pages in a way they haven’t before. Rewind a decade or so and written content often took priority; in many cases, you’d have to open a separate menu or head to a different page to view large, high-resolution images of a product.

This has changed big time over the last few years, and during the course of 2024, images and videos have become supersized. Now, they’re the main focus of the page: they pull customers in and the written content does the rest, convincing users to add a product to their basket.

User experience is the primary focus

You may have noticed a recurring theme across each of the trends detailed above: all of them are centred around the user experience. They’re not about design for design’s sake. They’re not just about being different for the sake of being different. They’re about enhancing the experience a user has when they visit your website, encouraging them to click from page to page and explore (as opposed to bouncing right back to the SERPs).

Web design isn’t just about making your site look pretty. It’s about connecting with the right people and generating conversions, be it sales or leads. Now, brands are not only realising that they need a well-rounded, logical design that’s built with the user in mind, but that this design doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, daring design approaches (like the ‘80s and Y2K aesthetics we talked about earlier) can actually enhance the customer experience, not detract from it.

Need a new website? Our experts are here to help

We hope you enjoyed our recap of 2024’s biggest web design trends (so far, at least). If you’re thinking about giving your company’s site a new look, our experienced team is here to help. With more than 20 years of experience working with eCommerce brands across the UK, we can take on everything from complete rebranding projects to website refreshes. Want to find out more? Get in touch with us today.