Web Design and Dev Trends to Watch For

Web design and development has changed quite dramatically over the last few years due to the increasing use of smart devices and SNS platforms. Here are a few of the most recent trends of this year.

Fixed Headers

We've seen these before and they are not something new. But fixed headers are coming more and more into play, possibly because we see them so much when we use social networks.

I'm sure this screen looks quite familiar.

Users can go through content and still be able to navigate throughout the site with ease. Gives your site a organized look. 

Just by using CSS property "position: fixed", you can attach any header you want to most layouts.

CSS Transparency

You can use CSS3 to control opacity and transparency shown in the browser for the elements you choose, thus omitting the need to use Photoshop to create a picture and upload the whole thing.

Here's an example:

Just give the background container the property "background: transparent".

Or, you can use "r gba()" syntax to manipulate transparency. This is a fairly new technique as it alters specific colors -- red, gree, blue, and alpha-transparency values.

Thus, rgba(255,255,255,0.3) would generate the color white at 30% opacity. 

Infinite Scrolling

This, too, is not something new, but has really become mainstream just recently. 

Click to see more and more, without having to number pages. This simplifies the design and structure of search results.

Responsive Layouts

This part was already covered in a previous blog, but it's definitely something worth mentioning again. Responsive design has become a must due to the widespread use of smart devices. We are accessing the web more with these devices than our PCs, making designers change the way they think regarding design flexibility. What better way to accommodate various screen types than having the site respond to the user's device?

Retina Display

Apple released iPhone 4 with a Retina Display, allowing for higher pixel density and clearer screens. Designers are forced to keep these new vibrant screens in mind, implementing larger images with double the resolution.

It's just a slight difference...but definitely a huge impact.

Sliding Page Panels

As touch screens are now the norm, we see a lot more sliding panels to give sites a dynamic kick. Instead of just clicking buttons or scrolling, you can actually move the panels to find the button you want.

To wrap it all up, we see better user experience, more simplicity, and convenience for both designers and users. Web technology is giving us more freedom every day.