Oh my god, it’s already November! About high time to look at the web design trends for 2024. In this recurring series (see 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023), we’re looking at the aesthetics and technologies we think will dominate web design in the coming year.
For website owners, theme and web designers, developers, and other Internet professionals, it’s crucial to stay on top of what modern web design looks like. This way, you can adjust your website projects and marketing measures accordingly.
Doing so helps show your clients and visitors that you know what is trendy and stay in the loop with the latest developments. It also simply allows you to take advantage of the latest technology and create websites that perform and look good and achieve their goals.
Ready to see what web design trends 2024 has to offer? Then let’s get started.
1. AI Everywhere!
Ok, first let’s talk about the giant robot elephant in the room. Ever since the unveiling of ChatGPT, there is no escaping artificial intelligence. It’s increasingly moving into all areas of life, including web design and web content. As one of the design trends of 2024, expect to see more things in your browser that have been created using it.
Written AI Content
This currently appears to be the main application for artificial intelligence in creating websites. I have written about this before when I tried to outsource my job to ChatGPT.
With the power of AI at almost everyone’s fingertips, we’re seeing a lot more content where AI played a role at least partially, if not outright. Blog posts, landing pages, website content, social media updates, it’s all fair game.
You can even use it in WordPress already. I recently talked about the freshly released Jetpack AI, which brings the power of ChatGPT directly to the WordPress editor.
A trend that will likely continue in the new year. To the point that Google has published new guidelines for content. They stress first-hand experience as one of the new main markers of quality besides E-A-T. We’ve also seen a bunch of core updates in recent months possibly related to that.
AI Images
Our new AI overlords don’t just stop with text; they’re also adept at producing visuals. We saw the release of Midjourney 5 in the first half of 2023 and Dall-E 3 is available on ChatGPT Plus. Services like Canva also come with its own image AI. As a consequence, you can use more and more tools for creating images without a graphic designer.
There are also WordPress companies, like Elementor, who have started offering AI image creation inside their products.
Thus, instead of stock photos, one of the web design trends we can expect to see more of in 2024 is unique images that have been created with prompts, not Photoshop.
AI Chatbots
Yes, we have talked about chatbots as a web design trend in past years. But with AI improving in leaps and bounds, customer support is another area in which it finds its way into websites.
This includes WordPress. At WordCamp Europe 2023, there was an entire panel on this topic.
The panelists spoke about the different ways that WordPress companies are already using AI and customer support was an important topic for that. There are also plugins like Chatbot ChatGPT for WordPress and AI Engine that allow you to bring the power of ChatGPT for chatbots and other functionality to your site.
So, next time you find yourself clicking on one of those ubiquitous “chat with us” buttons, be prepared that there might not be a human on the other end.
AI Code
AI can not only write prose text, it’s also capable of writing functions and code. While at the seminar dedicated to this topic at WCEU 2023, the results were mixed for more complex undertakings, for simpler CSS or JavaScript functions, you can absolutely rely on language models like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT to help you out.
Of course, the challenge remains to have sufficient development skills so you can actually ask for what you need and troubleshoot problems. However, it’s probably going to be more and more common to have websites that run on code created by AI, at least in part.
AI Web Design
Finally, another way that artificial intelligence will find its way into web design in 2024 is by doing the actual web design. We already have offers out there where you can get a website built automatically with a few prompts.
Website builders like Wix are experimenting with it, you can use Unbounce for landing pages, and for WordPress, there is CodeWP AI or AppyPie.
2. Animation, Motion Effects, and Videos
Video content is one of the most popular forms of content out there. Just look at YouTube and TikTok, which are among the most visited websites in the world. In addition, many social sites have jumped on the bandwagon with their own video offerings, like Instagram Reels.
Due to its popularity, it’s no wonder that moving images are also a trend in web design.
Something that’s driving this development is the increase in CSS functionality that can accommodate animations, transitions, and complex hover and scroll effects. You don’t even have to know JavaScript.
Loading animations or microinteractions are additional options that allow you to create more immersive and seamless website experiences beyond the usual page reloads. As technology advances and browsers become even more capable, we can also see more web designers and developers take advantage of this trend.
However, you can also introduce movement to websites in other forms such as animated illustrations, videos, or looping GIFs. The latter are especially reminiscent of what users of short-video platforms consume every day.
3. Large Hero Typography
Besides animations, another way to make main typography stand out is to oversize it. This is something that is visible on more and more websites. It’s a great eye catcher and, depending on the font you use, can transport a lot of personality right away. You can use it for your brand name, heading, unique selling point, etc.
Large font is also a great alternative to images. It takes less to load and has a similar effect.
Plus, it’s very easy to implement in a block theme and the WordPress Site Editor. Use the Create Block Theme plugin to add the font face of your choice to your website.
After that, use the built-in options to make it stand out extra large. For example, you can use the Cover block to create a hero image and then adjust the look of the text to your liking with the native typography settings.
4. Gradients
Gradients are having a bit of a resurgence, not only since Instagram revamped their logo. They are a great way to add a splash of color to website design. You can use them for images, backgrounds, buttons, and many other elements to make them stand out and introduce colors in a very soft way.
What’s cool is also that WordPress has a lot of functionality for that already built in. The block editor allows you to add gradients in many places, especially as backgrounds.
So, if you want to jump onto this web design trend in 2024, you can do so with very little hassle.
5. Kinetic Typography
Kinetic typography is a way to make text on your website more exciting by combining it with animation. One of the most common applications for it is to use it in the hero image for your brand name or slogan.
Kinetic typography is very effective in directing attention and making sure visitors read what you want them to. Plus, it’s very easy to implement in WordPress. You can easily add it in the form of GIFs or videos in the editor.
The problem is creating the animations. It helps if you are familiar with tools like After Effects. If that’s not your thing, you can give websites like Typomotion, OFFEO, and Canva a try.
6. Bento Grids
You might not be familiar with the term, but most likely you have seen them. Championed by Apple in both their website and mobile operating system, it’s a type of grid with borders reminiscent of Japanese lunch “bento” boxes.
In the end, they are simply rounded corners, however, they are an exciting design trend that a lot of people are jumping on. You can find more examples at Bento Grids.
Visible grids and borders in general are a trend you can see more of in web design in 2024. They provide clarity and structure, making websites easier to navigate. Plus, they help with responsive design as they help visualize how elements will rearrange.
If you are interested in doing something similar, look into flexbox and CSS grid.
7. Accessibility
This trend is nothing new, we have talked about how to implement accessibility in WordPress years ago. However, there is a renewed focus on this topic with new standards coming out and increasingly being written into law.
So, accessibility is likely also going to be a trend in web design in 2024 and beyond, which is a good thing. Building websites that are accessible to all users should be the default.
8. Retro 90s/Y2K Design
If you were born early enough to be conscious in the 90s or early 2000s, you might be surprised to see that some of the fashion trends of your youth are currently making a comeback.
However, it’s not just in street fashion where these trends are resurfacing. Online, a lot of elements that those of us who experienced the early days of the Internet tried to forget are making a comeback. Thankfully, we’re not talking about blinking marquees a la MySpace. Instead, get ready for retro illustrations, noisy background images, neon colors, and big typography.
Other hallmarks of this aesthetic include:
- 3D shapes
- Flashy color schemes like pink, purple, and orange
- Glitter and metallic
In short, get ready for more retro vibes going forward into 2024.
9. Data Visualization
If the COVID pandemic taught us anything, then it is understanding large amounts of data visualized online. With very little else to do, refreshing case numbers in your own or other countries became a national sport.
However, something good that came of it was the increased ability of web designers to display large amounts of complex data on web pages, even in interactive form! This is a web design trend you can expect to see more of in 2024.
10. Interactive 3D Content
Finally, thanks to advances in technology and the skills of web designers, seeing three-dimensional content online that you can interact with is becoming more prevalent. For example, you can look at the latest iPhone from any perspective you want by playing with it in your browser.
Or have you been thinking about building a kitchen with IKEA lately? You can also do that in a Sims-like environment without going anywhere near a Swedish furniture shop.
Finally, there is the insane example by Bruno Simon who built his CV/portfolio as a 3D online game you can play and also get to know his skill set. You know, in case the website itself doesn’t convince you.
With browsers and computers getting more powerful, expect to see more such website examples in the coming year.
What Are Your Favorite 2024 Web Design Trends?
As a web designer, developer, or simply a trend-conscious website owner, it’s important to stay on top of what is going on in the web design sphere. By understanding the visual and technological trends that will dominate web design in 2024, you can make sure you stay on the forefront of what is happening.
While, as in every other part of life, artificial intelligence dominates much of the discussion, there are also other exciting developments to keep an eye on. From gradients and animations to typography trends, visible borders, accessibility, interactive 3D content, and data visualization, there is much to look forward to. Don’t you agree?
What web design trends are you looking forward to in 2024? Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!
