In a survey, 48% of people stated that design is the most important factor of a website as it is the one that will catch the visitors’ attention first.
Web design evolves quickly over time, but there are widespread trends you can gain knowledge from.
During this point of the creation process, it is important to remember that not all current web trends are necessarily right for you.
This is why it is important to check what other competitors in your niche are doing but also about what others outside of your niche are doing. You don’t want your website to look exactly the same as all of your other competitors’ websites.
Each sector has different styles, so you must figure out what fits in your industry and improve on it with the newer trends in design that might be beneficial for your site.
Where to Begin Researching Design Trends
If you are ready to begin with the research, the obvious question that comes up is : where do I start? Thankfully, with the internet, there are many resources where designers post up their latest mock-ups and projects that we can draw inspiration from.
If you are working with a website design agency, like Designer First, then even though a designer is primarily in charge of making the style and appearance of your website, it is important you also contribute to the drafting of ideas. In the end, it is your own site and what represents your brand! The more ideas you have about what you like vs what you don’t like, the faster the creative process will be in drafting a design.
Resource #1: Pinterest
Pinterest is a great source of inspiration because it is a website literally designed for people to “pin” different pictures, links, and even clips of what inspires them.
A quick search of “website design” might be too general and take you forever to scroll through. Try narrowing your search according to your niche, such as “restaurant website design” or “pet store website design”.
Resource #2: Behance
Behance.net is a website where designers can post up their portfolio items and other people can give their approval and thumbs up for the designs that they like.
Keep in mind, these are from real designers and their mock-ups, so these designs might be more relevant and timely than other ones you see on Pinterest. Unlike Pinterest, you can search for designs here according to the latest uploads and you can narrow your search. If you find a design you like, make sure to save or bookmark it!
Resource #3: Dribbble
Dribbble (note with 3 b’s, not just two!) is a site similar to Behance that’s intended for designers to post their art and portfolio so that they can attract clients. Although the designs here can be very creative, keep in mind that a visually appealing website has to also be functional. A design that combines both design and function is the best design that you want. The selection on Dribbble is not as extensive as what you’d find on Behance, but it is a solid website to draw inspiration from!
Once you have looked at some website designs and thought about the ones you liked and want to model your design off of, you are ready to move onto the next step.
Step 3. Choose a Domain and Platform