Web design trends are changing every year. They come and go so fast that it’s quite difficult to catch up on them if you aren’t aware of the right pattern. For instance, an up-to-date focus on flat design was something worth having, until responsive web design took over. Not to forget the mobile ready solutions that various business websites today are running to.

If only you knew the web design trending beforehand, you can still compete. Well, it isn’t too late to watch out for 2016. Here are 5 web design trends that are to dominate in the upcoming year.

UI Patterns and their Proliferation

Responsive web design has, in most cases, caused the websites to look so much alike that it has become rather a side-effect of it. If you come to think of it, responsive design isn’t the only culprit. WordPress sites and booming theme market are equally to blame.

There is very little room left for the innovation of UI patterns. However, you can use some of the wide-eyed, great patterns to give your website a distinct feel, such as hamburger menu, long scroll, card layouts and hero images to give a strong humane sense to your designs.

Animations

Rich animations really come in handy in storytelling. It makes the overall experience all the more interactive and entertaining for the viewers. But you can’t just stick an animation anywhere you like; this really is the tricky part for you have to check whether it really matches the site’s personality.

Play around with loading animations for they can entertain the users while the page is being loaded. They are good with flat design, one-page sites and even portfolios. Hover animations also add an intuitive feel to the website. Don’t forget galleries and slideshows when you have an event coverage or lot of pictures to add for 1 particular topic.

Material Design

Material Design has been launched last year only by Google. With the use of shadow effects and depth in the concepts of movements, the designs are quite appealing and realistic for the viewer. It shows a good focus on the UX and creates a nice and clean design for it. It really is a game changer in the era.

Responsive Design

With the mobile internet usage, responsive design is taking over constantly. With it spreading like wildfire, it is safe to say that it’s here to stay for a quite a long while. However, there are some ‘don’ts’ to pulling it off effectively. Remember to avoid using JavaScript and CSS image loading with a tag of ‘display:none’. It causes the unnecessary weightage for your website. Conditional loading is a good option for JavaScript and its components. Don’t forget performance testing to fully optimize the site before you go live.

Those Microinteractions

Microinteractions are a part of our daily routine. It includes turning off the alarm on the mobile phone to liking that cute pup’s picture on Facebook. Make your website stand out with these daily petty interactions for they are vital in communicating with a status or some feedback and shows the result of the action right away. With their power to manipulate something, users are addicted to it even when they don’t know it.

An additional piece of advice, don’t just follow the trends for they are the new fad. Make sure that they adjust well to your business for they are mere tools that have been added to the designer toolbox. Be wise when picking the right tool to do the right job – the last part is UTTERLY important!