What's Trending In Web Design For 2013

1. Responsive web design goes mainstream

The internet is flooded by websites designed to function on phones and desktops equally efficiently, due to the unprecedented increase in mobile usage. Web designers now have to create designs that function on different screen widths. Multiple device users and responsive web design have lead to the abandonment of standard width with current designs being created for 2500 pixels or 320 pixels. Because of the flexibility provided by responsive web design, it is being adopted by mainstream websites like online news sites to fit their content on any screen size.

2. Flash replaced by JavaScript and HTML 5

We have seen the rise and fall of websites based on Adobe Flash, and now we will approach the same design issues during 2013 by replacing Flash with CSS3, JavaScript, HTML5 or Canvas. Google has adopted the latest technology by investing in Chrome. Chrome has pushed the Internet ahead with remarkable sites such as Chrome Experiments. Websites supported by these new browsers hold great promise.

3. Websites provide storytelling and cinematic experiences

Responsive web design allows designs to adapt to screens of any size. Web designers are creating websites that use very little text with large videos and photos, sometimes covering the screen completely. We also see websites integrating storytelling within their sites.

· Cadillac uses a large picture of a rotating earth that creates a cinematic effect.

· The digital agency, Welikesmall has used attractive photos and small fonts very attractively on its website.

· Impress a Penguin uses storytelling very cleverly to find their new community manager.

4. Creative navigation systems in place of traditional ones

Contemporary sites are seen to be shifting from the conventional top navigation bar. Users are moving from hierarchy based navigation to rich experiences where they use full screen images, videos, animation and interactive elements. Instead of links set within the menu bar, where the viewer clicks through and scrolls down every page, websites now have sophisticated navigation systems. Main menus have now been reduced, completely disappeared or hidden behind screen boundaries.

5. Incorporation of parallax effects

Several websites have selected a camera movement imitation that has a parallax effect. It creates the effect of depth as various web page elements move at varying speeds as the viewers scroll. To understand this effect, we can use the example of a car driving down a road. As you move ahead, the trees near the road appear to move faster than a house at a distance. This visual effect on your monitor screen will create a very engaging experience and is being used in web design more frequently.

6. Design inspiration from Swiss design style

The International typographic style, also known as the Swiss design style, has been a source of inspiration for web designers for many decades. In this style, typography is featured as the main design element and favours sans-serf type fonts, asymmetrical layouts and grids. This style focuses on objectivity, simplicity, and objectivity. The Windows 8 interface release has incorporated this style using using grid-based typography and grids.