What we've seen so far and what to expect.

Although design trends don't start and end on January 1 each year, there is a definite tendency to wipe the slate clean and change your design approach as we enter a new year. Trends help us evolve as designers. As we challenge ourselves, we continue to push forward to what's next or what needs to be fully discovered. 

In 2010, new technologies like CSS3 (cascading style sheets) and Custom Web Fonts with @Font-Face will give designers greater flexibility and help shape the future of the internet. The continued popularity of mobile devices will also play a big part in how designers approach Web site design.  

Make no mistake: you will recognize the ideas behind these trends. Although this list isn't a drastic departure from what was popular in 2009, it includes different trends that are being expanded upon and made better as a result.

CSS3: What does it mean to designers?

Although CSS3 is not fully supported by all browsers yet, many designers are experimenting with its new features. CSS3 is opening up new options for styling content. Designs that were previously only achieved using cumbersome graphic images are now possible through more advanced coding options. For example, aesthetical improvements such as color gradients, drop shadows and rounded corners can now be achieved in CSS3, allowing designers to utilize these options without increasing page load times with graphical elements. 

The use of PNG (portable network graphic) files in Web design has made transparency a key design feature as well. Now, an alpha value or opacity rule can be specified directly in the CSS. Transparency as a design tool opens up a world of options that were only attainable with the use of Flash in the past.  

What the Font?

There has always been a set of safe fonts that could be used on the Web: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana and Georgia, to name a few. Now the @font-face CSS3 rule allows fonts to be called from an online directory and used to display text in a whole new way. By allowing authors to provide their own fonts, @font-face eliminates the need to depend on the limited number of fonts users have installed on their computers. Although this technology is not without fault, it does present the potential of removing the font handcuffs designers have had since the beginning of Web design. However, this does bring up issues of copyright, so there are only a handful of specific fonts that can be used for @font-face embedding at this time. We'll keep our fingers crossed: I think we've all had our fill of Helvetica, Arial and Verdana.

How to Design for Mobile?

There are many factors that designers have to think about before they begin designing a site. Will the technologies used work on multiple browsers? What does the site look like on a small screen? What does it look like on a large screen? Should you have a mobile version of your site? Previously it was thought that a Web site should have one version that works across all platforms and devices. But, attitudes toward the viewing of Web sites across different media are changing. Designers are becoming of the opinion that designs do not need to render the same everywhere, nor do they need to give the same user experience across all Web browsers. Why scale back on the design of your main site to accommodate your mobile one? The same theories apply when approaching mobile design: 

• Keep it simple. Because of the lack of space on the screen and internet connections that are often slower, it's important for visitors to have access to what is most crucial, and as little else as possible.

• White space. White space is more of a necessity in mobile design because the typical screen size is so much smaller. A jumbled Web site would be very user-unfriendly and very difficult to pull off in the mobile environment.

• Minimal images. There is great variety in speed of mobile Internet connections and of pricing plans for access. Visitors are more likely to be slowed down or concerned with use of their resources when they're on a mobile device. Additionally, the size of the screens can make many images difficult to see and content harder to read. For these reasons, it's very common to see minimal use of images in mobile Web design.

What's Still Hot!

Typography

This trend started over the past year and will continue. Designs will trend toward the use of typography as an integral part of the overall work rather than a liability. Web designers will incorporate larger, more exciting fonts in place of system text and are pay closer attention to typographic details such as leading, line height and choice of font.

Magazine Layout

With more people going online who see the Web as their top source of entertainment and real-time information, many sites will be gearing toward this type of look, with short articles that are easy to read and concise. The use of white space will continue to be important.

Single Page Scrolling Layouts

The use of jQuery JavaScripts allows designers to present viewers with a single, smooth-scrolling Web page. Motion, sometimes confused as Flash animation, can now be achieved through jQuery which is being used more and more. Single page layouts give users an easy way to get the information they need quickly. Why spend money updating, changing or thinking about pages that receive no attention?  

Intro Boxes

"Hi, my name is..." will find an even bigger stage in 2010 as designers recognize the beautiful simplicity of introducing yourself to your visitor. If you're struggling with making a creative "About" page, the intro box will be your best bet. It forces you to condense who you are into a relatively small amount of space. In 2010, intro boxes will push their own boundaries. Instead of the left-flanked intro block, 2010 will see boxes in unusual placement, perhaps even in the middle of a page.

So, what are your predictions for this year and beyond?

What do you think will be the catalysts for change over the next year? How do you think the Web technologies we have now will evolve? Shouldn't there be some sort of CTA? E.g., Let us know!

Neil Esposito, Associate Creative Director at Long Island advertising agency Austin & Williams, assists in guiding the Agency's artists from developing strategic concepts through project completion, with a personal expertise in Web design. To read more about Neil, visit his bio section on the A&W web site.