Animated Image Frame Distortion
The verdict on this trend is still out. Do you love it or hate it? For a lack of better description, we’ll call this one animated image frame distortion. You’ll know it when you see it for sure. Image frames shift and shape when the mouse gets close to the element. Some images maintain their positions in the frame with no distortion to the original image while other tend to shape shift with the frame. The shape movements are pretty cool and the animation is attention grabbing. But are you weirded out when the image in the frame gets distorted? (Personally, I have always been a fan of maintaining the integrity of a photo and tend to like the frame distortion but not on the image.) Faze Models uses this technique as a focal point with little else on the homepage. The image frame and image distort with hover action, moving from left to right and back. The movement also changes the color of the background, which is pretty nifty.


Gold Metallics
You can never go wrong with gold. It’s classic and strong and creates a sense of importance and luxury. Maybe that’s why gold is one of the most popular colors in design right now. (Even though it can be exceptionally difficult to use.) Each of the examples below has mastered how to use gold elements and accents in projects to represent their brands in entirely different ways. Chateau Margaux matches its gold-branded wine labels to the website design with a simple gold logo, lettering and hints of gold in the images. Using muted backgrounds helps gold emerge from the color palette to create just the sense of luxury that a wine brand emanates.


Obvious Grids
Use of grids is at the root of design theory. Every web designer knows that the grid is at the foundation of a solid design. These trending website designs feature grids that are obvious to even the casual user. And they are stunning. What’s great about obvious grids is that they can take on so many different shapes and styles. The three featured styles here include a masonry grid, block grid and asymmetrical grid. The great thing about using grids is that they provide a way to organize complex content in a manageable way. Grid-based styles have been a popular choice for portfolios for that very reason. What sets these designs apart is that they use grids – not only in an obvious way, but also in a smart way. Juco Photo uses a masonry grid with photos of all different heights. While the vertical grid is the same, it’s a modern spin on the technique with photos of varying depths. What’s exceptional about it is that the grid never gets messy, partially due to the rainbow style-placement of photos. There’s a lot going on here visually and all of it is good.


Conclusion
I love it when trends just jump out of new designs, such as the collection this month. And what’s nice is that these are pretty usable techniques. Personally, I am a huge fan of the gridwork featured in the designs above, but the gold color palettes caught my eye in a way that was somewhat unexpected. Animated image frames are interesting; we’ll see if designers respond favorably to them. 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.
Popular Posts
Read Next
Exciting New Tools for Designers, November 2023
We’ve got a mix of handy image helpers, useful design assets, and clever productivity tools, amongst other treats. Some…
The Dangers of Doomscrolling for Designers and How to Break Free
As a creative professional, navigating the digital realm is second nature to you. It’s normal to follow an endless…
By Louise North
From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years
Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design…
By Max Walton
3 Essential Design Trends, November 2023
In the season of giving thanks, we often think of comfort and tradition. These are common themes with each of our three…
30 Obsolete Technologies that will Perplex Post-2000s Kids
Remember the screech of dial-up internet? Hold fond memories of arcade machines? In this list, we’re condensing down 30…
15 Best New Fonts, October 2023
We’re entering the final quarter of 2023, and even in the pre-holiday lull, there are still plenty of fonts to get…
By Ben Moss
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): Unlocking The Future of Mobile-First Web Development
There are over 5.4 billion mobile users today, meaning that over 68% of the population tap into an online business via…
The 12 Most Controversial Ad Campaigns of the 21st Century
How far would an organization be willing to go for the chance to generate a little extra buzz? In this list, we're…
By Robert Reeve
20 Best New Websites, October 2023
The Bento trend is still going strong: In some cases, we see this extend to the layout, but many more are picking…
Exciting New Tools for Designers, October 2023
This month, we have a whole bag of goodies for designers, developers, and designevelopers alike. (Yes, we did just make…
The 10 Most Successful Rebrands of All Time - Ranked
We’re all familiar with rebrands going wrong, but what happens when they go right? From McDonald’s health kick to…
By Max Walton
3 Essential Design Trends, October 2023
Every now and then, website design trends can leave you scratching your head. This month’s collection includes some of…