A grid approach to IA
When you look at any card-based design, it’s impossible not to also see a grid-based design peeking through. That’s because every edge of a card is really the edge of various grids in a bigger, well-organized system that promotes great consistency and harmony in the way the site’s presented. This in turn significantly helps the information architecture of your site. Information architecture is the intelligent order and flow in which your visitors absorb site information, ideally in keeping with the goal of each page and the overall site.

Heavy reliance on images
We’ve heard the old saying that people are visual creatures so many times that it’s a cliché, yet in card-based design, it takes on new meaning. Card-based design relies on visuals almost exclusively; any copy on the same page is usually secondary to the visual in terms of the information architecture. Going heavy on images like this is a strength of card-based design because studies already confirm that images elevate web design. For example, both high-quality pictures and using more human faces in images boost conversion rates. In fact, all told, there are several ways in which using images in design can increase your site’s conversions. In other words, the emphasis on using images makes card-based design more attractive to site visitors. It’s no coincidence that Pinterest is, according to Alexa, the 15th most popular site in the U.S.
Enhanced UX
Any designer should tell you that the user experience matters most. It’s what we’re supposed to be designing for, first and foremost. Another reason that card-based design has resonated so well, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, is because it helps the user experience. And that encourages site visitors to keep coming back to your site, which in turn leads to them spending a longer time there, which finally leads to more conversions! A great user experience centers around people being able to find their way around your site without any friction; basically, they should find what they want to find immediately and with no headaches.
Well-Suited for mobile design
You may’ve heard that mobile has already overtaken desktop in the sheer number of users. In the U.S. alone for 2015, mobile media digital time comes out to 51% compared to desktop’s 42%. Card-based design is ideal since it takes this trend into consideration by being eazily compatible with responsive frameworks. Because cards offer content in more digestible chunks, it makes it easier to display on mobile frameworks. Look at cards this way: their shape and size is practically a mimicry of the shape and size of a smartphone or tablet. Of course, not exactly a perfect match due to the multitude of different models available, but still a pretty close match when you think in terms of aspect ratio.
Not merely another design fad
The problem with some design trends is that they turn into fads, which makes them short-lived and forgettable. Card-based design, though, is anything but! Because of the slew of practical uses and benefits that it offers, it’s only going to become more popular as time wears on. This means that it has staying power. It provides consistency in the information architecture of sites and taps into users’ obsession with sharp images as a way of driving more conversions. Consequently, the entire user experience also gets a huge improvement with card-based design simply because it actually makes it easy for users to find what they’re searching for on the site. Thanks to the rise of mobile in the last couple of years, this design approach is becoming a mainstay that more and more people are encountering and enjoying. When you think of it, cards are really an old concept, yet they’ve been given a shot in the arm and updated to a fresh, new way of web design. It just goes to show you that innovative designers can take something old and mundane and turn it into something that’s extremely relevant and beneficial in the 21st century.Marc Schenker
Marc’s a copywriter who covers design news for Web Designer Depot. Find out more about him at thegloriouscompanyltd.com.
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