Graphic Design Trends for 2011: More than a New Look

With more than 233,800,000 sites registered worldwide, businesses with a website need to use the latest advances in technology and tools to compete within their market. Online shoppers are not only more discerning than in the past, but the utilization of social media sites has divided their attention from traditional websites they find through web browsers and those web pages and profiles they can find on the social media sites they use every day.

Due to these changes within the market, companies can consider the following website trends for 2011 to launch their web presence ahead of their competition:

• New languages and the adaptation of standard browsers are one new trend for the New Year. Flash will decrease in overall usage for websites of all kinds and JavaScript will step up as the standard for animations. More stable with more design options, JavaScript will continue to reinvent the look and feel of existing and upcoming websites.
• For more experienced designers, there are other options beyond JavaScript as well. CSS3 or HTML5 allow for advanced typography, built-in transitions and 360-degree virtual resolution will create highly interactive and dynamic websites.
• To keep up with educated web consumers, businesses have to offer simplicity and solid information to their visitors, along with a pleasing layout.
• Flashy-filled home pages are a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that landing on a home page will lack flair. Web 2.0 options like those found on Facebook or Twitter offer site visitors an interactive experience and visually pleasing space to function in. These sites load much faster than their Flash cousins and layouts include easy-to-navigate menus.
• Widescreen monitors have begun more the norm than the anomaly, therefore, website formats are moving away from the magazine designs originally instituted. Space is no longer a concern, and new options for ads and banners will allow for seamless advertising on websites without the cluttered look of sites in the past. Pages have the ability to be filled with relative content, making the experience more interesting and productive for site visitors.
• With 82% of the general population using cell phones, developers need to keep in mind the mobile web capabilities of their website. Layout and content guidelines should be considered to make the site functional and visually pleasing to the mobile market.

Overall, 2011 will mean more professional designs for websites, offering visually appeal combined with faster load times and link-filled content that allows for simpler site access and faster searches for the information being sought.

With the move from Flash to JavaScript and CSS3 or HTML5, developers of every skill level have new and exciting options to create stunningly visual layouts blended with engaging content for a better web experience. Businesses looking to move from their existing site design to compete at the highest level of web development capabilities in the industry today should employ the services of a reputable web development team capable of building the dynamic and content-rich site their company needs.