Website design trends tend to come and go, but when something works it tends to stick around. The key to creating a successful design for your law firm is to find the tried-and-true trends and make them a classic part of your design. What are some of 2016’s best law firm website design trends that are expected to continue throughout this year and beyond?
Long Scrolling
Long scrolling emerged in response to the use of mobile devices to view websites. Mobile devices make scrolling easy, but prevent users from seeing a lot of content at once. Therefore, sites that feature a lot of content can benefit from an infinite scroll layout. This means site visitors can scroll through a page without ever clicking to move to a new page for more content. Essentially, content is stacked, allowing for easy access without having to move from page to page.
Minimalism
Minimalism is a growing trend throughout many areas of design, and the web is no exception. The trend is one of the best law firm website design trends and is expected to increase even more in the coming months. Everything is paring down – narrower navigations, fewer pages, less intrusive images… the list goes on. Basic is the name of the game –words and phrases, colors, and the simplest of interactive elements.
This means what is left on a page needs to be of significant quality. When forced to communicate a message with fewer words and images, you must be careful what you are saying comes across to visitors in the way you intend. Keep in mind, the minimalism trend relates to design, not necessarily to all content.
Color
Despite the trend toward basic and minimal, bright colors are making a comeback. The key is to use a bright, saturated single color – simple design with major impact. Many popular brands are even utilizing logos with nearly neon shades. Though this isn’t right for everyone, an eye-catching splash of neon on a page will make a major impact.
Transition to Tabs
The traditional method of using a “hamburger menu” (hiding core pages behind an icon) is no longer as desirable as using a tab menu. Tabs make navigation options more obvious and tend to encourage exploration and interaction.
In addition to these trends, site owners have also been incorporating faster and friendlier loading options and the need for fewer clicks into their designs. Also, there is a trend toward incorporating features that are working for other sites across the board. Instead of utilizing rarely seen “cutting edge” features, site owners are playing it safe, even if it means mimicking other sites.
What do you think? Is the trend toward appealing to the mobile user the way to go? Do you have ideas for making your site simpler, so you can take advantage of the minimalism trend? And what importance does the site owner’s industry play in determining which trends to follow and which to leave behind? Contact Legal Web Design to learn how to get the best law firm website design for your firm!
