1) One big photo



- Start with a defining photo. It needs to be interesting and somewhat different. (Avoid the hand holding a phone images for app launches or a person on a solid color background shots.)
- Crop it tight.
- Edit and play with color settings. Go for something a little more extreme, such as black and white.
- Showcase your product or brand.
- Keep other elements to a minimum. Consider only using a brand identifier, such as a logo, and short headline.
- Move navigation out of the way.
- Provide a clue for users so they know what action to take next, such as the arrow encouraging a scroll.
- Make a dramatic photograph with the help of lighting, interesting backgrounds or stellar environments. (A professional photographer is likely required for this one.)
- Play up the drama with typography is that oversized, undersized or uses a novelty typeface. But only use one of these techniques.
2) Sidebar navigation



- Navigation needs to be somewhat obvious to users, which is why many sites still use the hamburger icon as a notation.
- Navigation can pop-out from the left or right, but it can also be a distinct design element with a static placement.
- Sidebar navigation can be part of the overall design rather than an aside to it. Note how the Quecha website integrates sidebar style navigation elements into the overall design.
- Provide plenty of space so that navigational elements are clear and easy to read. Users should know what these words or icons are and that they are a path to getting around the website.
- Be cautious of changing navigational styles between pages, unless you go back to a more standard top of the screen option on interior pages.
3) Interactive adventure



Conclusion
The theme in trending design this month is big drama. It takes great art, a good story and plenty of planning to pull off one of these techniques because they are so singularly focused on grabbing users with a quick impression. Is it a style that you would consider? What trends are you loving (or hating) right now? I’d love to see some of the websites that you are fascinated with. Drop me a link on Twitter; I’d love to hear from you.Carrie Cousins
Carrie Cousins is a freelance writer with more than 10 years of experience in the communications industry, including writing for print and online publications, and design and editing. You can connect with Carrie on Twitter @carriecousins.
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