1. Experiential Shopping
With many stores, either closed to in-person shopping during the pandemic or their capacities severely limited, online shopping and BOPIS became much more attractive options for consumers. That said, buying something like a pair of jeans or a new pair of glasses is much different than the pack of toilet paper someone’s bought for years. There are just some things you have to try to know if you’re going to like it and make sure it fits. Augmented reality and other immersive shopping tools are bringing those “try-on” capabilities to people’s homes. There are a number of technologies built specifically for this purpose: Obsess is a particularly noteworthy one. It’s an ecommerce platform that enables retailers to build virtually immersive shopping experiences. Charlotte Tilbury is one such retailer that is taking advantage of it.![Obsess, the augmented reality and immersive shopping experience platform](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/obsess-ecommerce-platform.gif)
![ByondXR helps brands create experiential shopping](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/byondxr-ecommerce-platform.gif)
![Matterport's virtual shopping experiences and 3D store mapping tech](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/matterport-ecommerce-platform.gif)
2. Virt-ical Worlds
There’s a new trend brewing, and we see it most commonly on websites for fresh and youthful brands. I wouldn’t say it’s nostalgic design, per se, though there are certainly some elements reminiscent of the bold, in-your-face style of the web in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. No, I think what we see here is a creative reimagining of our world. With so many people having spent time in their homes and with their faces glued to screens, there’s been a blurring between our VIRTual and physICAL worlds. This new web design trend is one I’m going to call the Virt-ical World. While parts of these sites look like the websites we’ve designed in years past, there are motion, color, and sizing elements that feel more like a trippy virtual simulation. Let’s look at some examples. Starface is a company that creates acne-fighting products.![Starface's in-your-face website design](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/starface-ecommerce-website.gif)
![Billie has a fun, candy-colored website design](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/billie-ecommerce-website.gif)
![Catching THEO mixes nostalgia and modern design](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/catchingtheo-ecommerc-website.gif)
Au Naturale Models
When I talk about au naturale models, I’m really referring to the makeup-less faces, relaxed hairstyles, and casual apparel that we’re seeing ecommerce models don these days. I think it’s safe to say we have the pandemic to thank for this. And it’s not just because many of us took a more casual approach to getting dressed during the week. It’s also because the pandemic wiped away the glitz and glamour from many of our lives. I don’t know about you, but it was kind of nice seeing fewer Instagram influencers flaunting their luxurious lifestyles and more real people rocking their matching pajama sets. I think brands have sensed this change in mood over the last year, and they’re now putting forward their own simple and casual styles for us to connect to. There are tons of ecommerce websites we’re seeing this on in 2021. Here’s Dove’s homepage, where they specifically call attention to the lack of digital distortion in the photo:![Dove says there's "no digital distortion" used in this photo of the model](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/dove-homepage.png)
![Realistic looking models on the Thinx ecommerce site](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/thinx-imagery.png)
![Madison Reed shows off some of the real faces of its customers](https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/cdn-origin/uploads/2021/02/madison-reed-ecommerce-website.gif)
Wrap-Up
It feels like ecommerce trends and technologies are changing at a rapid pace these days. To help you stay on top of what’s new in ecommerce, stay tuned to this blog for more interesting news and changes to the landscape.Suzanne Scacca
Suzanne Scacca is a freelance writer by day, specializing in web design, marketing, and technology topics. By night, she writes about, well, pretty much the same thing, only those stories are set under strange and sometimes horrific circumstances.
Read Next
15 Best New Fonts, July 2024
Welcome to our monthly roundup of the best fonts we’ve found online in the last four weeks. This month, there are fewer…
By Ben Moss
20 Best New Websites, July 2024
Welcome to July’s round up of websites to inspire you. This month’s collection ranges from the most stripped-back…
Top 7 WordPress Plugins for 2024: Enhance Your Site's Performance
WordPress is a hands-down favorite of website designers and developers. Renowned for its flexibility and ease of use,…
By WDD Staff
Exciting New Tools for Designers, July 2024
Welcome to this July’s collection of tools, gathered from around the web over the past month. We hope you’ll find…
3 Essential Design Trends, July 2024
Add some summer sizzle to your design projects with trendy website elements. Learn what's trending and how to use these…
15 Best New Fonts, June 2024
Welcome to our roundup of the best new fonts we’ve found online in the last month. This month, there are notably fewer…
By Ben Moss
20 Best New Websites, June 2024
Arranging content in an easily accessible way is the backbone of any user-friendly website. A good website will present…
Exciting New Tools for Designers, June 2024
In this month’s roundup of the best tools for web designers and developers, we’ll explore a range of new and noteworthy…
3 Essential Design Trends, June 2024
Summer is off to a fun start with some highly dramatic website design trends showing up in projects. Let's dive in!
15 Best New Fonts, May 2024
In this month’s edition, there are lots of historically-inspired typefaces, more of the growing trend for French…
By Ben Moss
How to Reduce The Carbon Footprint of Your Website
On average, a web page produces 4.61 grams of CO2 for every page view; for whole sites, that amounts to hundreds of KG…
By Simon Sterne
20 Best New Websites, May 2024
Welcome to May’s compilation of the best sites on the web. This month we’re focused on color for younger humans,…