Have you ever seen pictures of your relatives or friends from two decades back? If you have, what was your reaction? What the heck are they wearing? Why? Because fashion trends change drastically over time. The same holds true for web design. The websites we use today have not been the same for the last two decades. Go to search engines and search for older versions of the most popular websites and you will be shocked to see how much these website Design have evolved over the past few decades.
Yes, it is important to know the latest web design trends so that you can create a futuristic website but it is equally if not more important to know about outdated web design trends that have phased out so you don’t end up jumping on the wrong train. In this article, you will learn about seven obsolete web design trends you should stop using in your web designs.
1. Aggressive Popups
The biggest problems with pop-ups are that it destroys the user experience by interrupting the users. Sometimes, these pop-ups can become so annoying that users have no choice but to close down the website. Despite this, many websites have long been using aggressive, in-your-face pop-ups to increase their conversion rates but thankfully this will end sooner rather than later.
Google has started penalizing websites that use these pop-ups on a mobile version of its website and the operation will soon trickle down to desktop versions as well.
2. Hamburger Menus are Out
Hamburger menus first burst onto the scene on mobile websites but later made their way to desktop versions of the website too. Soon, web designers realized that desktop and mobile are two different devices with different sizes and resolutions. There is a lot less space on mobile devices as screens are smaller than desktop and hamburger menus are a good fit for mobile but not for desktop.
Secondly, hiding the navigation menu behind an icon makes it difficult for users to navigate to different pages of your website and hampers the usability of your website.
3. End of Sidebars
Sidebars used to be a regular feature of the web since its inception but we are seeing businesses doing away with the sidebars on their website. Web designers have found better ways to help a user navigate through a single page and are ditching sidebars. Additionally, sidebars impose a type of clutter on your website making it look unprofessional and messy. Just look at the Fox News website to understand what I mean.
They have two sidebars and overwhelm users with too many new stories. What’s worse, these sidebars are not even visible on mobile, making their website non-responsive. On the contrary, take a look at the NBC news website which looks much simpler than its counterpart.
4. Death of Flat Look
Flat design was all the rage a few years back but not anymore. It is also another web design trend that has its root in the mobile ecosystem but later made its way into a desktop environment. Meant to be used sparingly, it shot to fame after Apple and Google made it a part of their mobile operating systems.
Microsoft took it to the next level with their Windows 8. Things took a wrong turn when the flat design started confusing users as there are no design cues and web design Chicago started breaking away from the flat design philosophy. Bright colors and a flatter look is replaced by subtle hues and shades and a more modern look.
5. Image Carousel
Large size image carousel uses to make the cut frequently on websites but thankfully, this web design trend has also subsided. You might be thinking why I am thankful for the dwindling popularity of image carousel. The reason is that these image carousels make it tough for users to find content on the website. In addition to this, no one clicks on these image carousels which kills the whole purpose of having them on your website in the first place. Even if you want to use it, use it with an enticing call to action.
These carousels still waste valuable space on your website which can either be occupied by other elements or left blank to give your website a cleaner look. Try to avoid them as it distracts users and prevents them from accessing your content.
6. Parallax Scrolling for Everything is Gone
Parallax scrolling took the web design industry by storm when it first burst onto the scene. It was a regular feature of every web design trend list and become wildly popular. What was once used to add depth and flavor to designs became a standard feature for all WordPress themes.
Soon, the industry realized that it was a feature that should have been left to the experts and should not be accessible to anyone else. That does not mean that you should never use parallax scrolling but make sure that you don’t overkill it. It is still a great option for lighter websites but other than that it is better to look elsewhere.
7. Throw Old Typefaces Out of the Window
If you are still using decades-old serif and sans serif fonts on your website, your website might look antiquated. Instead, use Google Fonts to breathe new life into your websites. Google Fonts offers you limitless options and empowers designers to use better typography on their websites. I am not saying that you should go crazy with Google Fonts and use 10 different fonts but you can try a couple of them and see how it pans out. With Google Fonts, you are no longer dependent on images with text.
Here is great news for both accessibility and content. Using new fonts that no one else is using on their websites helps you make your website stand out from the crowd. Which old web design trends are you still following? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below. Make sure to also visit this to find a web design agency.