1. Strong Hero Images with Subtle Text
The contrast and yin and yang influence of strong and subtle elements in this trend results in a fantastic visual. These website designs which feature strong hero images (or video) with subtle typography draw the eye and create immediate intrigue. Strong imagery pulls you in and the key to text elements that work is placed in a location that moves the eye through the image around the screen. Each of these examples uses this trend in a different way, but each is engaging and makes you want to jump into the scene. Most of the “readable” information from the design comes from the image or visual presentation. The text serves as a secondary informational element. It’s quite a shift from many of the oversized typography and hero treatments that have dominated website design for the last few years. The simplicity is fabulous. Makena Golf Club uses a video reel of the location to make you want to go there. The text element in the bottom corner never changes, and sticks with you as you look at the images.


2. Modern Serifs
Modern serif typography can be identified by the use of alternative thick and thin strokes in each letterform. The typography style has been popular with printed works for decades, such as newspapers and books, but is emerging as a lovely website type option. Modern serif first emerged in the late 18th century and while many have extreme variances in thick and thin strokes, that is not always the case. When used for website projects, this contrast is often less pronounced. This typography trend is likely emerging now because screen resolutions are high-quality enough to support it. Pixilation, backlighting, and small sizes can make modern serifs somewhat challenging to read on screens. But more of these concerns have vanished. If you aren’t sure where to start with serif fonts, Typewolf has a nice collection of popular options and where to find them. The Top 10 trending list is updated regularly. Modern serifs can inject a lot of personality into a project and are almost an art element of their own. Notice how each of the examples below use typography as the dominant element on the screen. Altermind features a strong modern serif for center branding and identification with a subtle but interesting background. The white text on a dark backdrop is classic and encourages readability.


3. Brutalism Influences
Brutalism is one of those website design trends that seems to make an appearance then fade away again. These designs can be harsh and intimidating. You need just the right content to make it work. The examples below show that using brutalism influences can be a workable middle ground, or help create a less garish aesthetic that is a little more user-friendly. The influences here include boxy, sharp typography styles as well as monospaced fonts; visible pixels and sharp edges; dark color schemes; and almost glitchy animation. Whether you are a fan of brutalism or not, you can appreciate the elements in these projects. WeThem.Us uses a video real that has an 80s gamification and movie theme. Everything is sharp and low-res, with no real type elements other than the main navigation until the end credit screen. What this example shows is the emotional/generational connection that this style can convey.


Conclusion
One of the most fun things to look at when studying website design trends is how many elements overlap. Note the modern serif used with the strong hero/subtle text trend. Note how some of the text elements in the modern serif trend aren’t as oversized and bold as we have seen most recently. Design trends such as these are nice because they are versatile and usable. While we aren’t seeing a lot of sweeping change right now, these tweaks are inspiring and interesting.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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