The interaction between the online world and the internet surfer is constantly changing, evolving to heights that were not even imagined a few years ago. Web design trends change every single year.

Usually, in just a couple of years, what was seen as highly popular is no longer something that is used. For instance, in 2014 we saw an increase in the use of WordPress designs that focused on scrolling, HTML5, micro UX, flat user interface and mobile interfaces while Flash graphics were almost eliminated.

In 2014 we saw minimalism stand out as the most important design principle taken into account but will this continue in 2015? Let us think about the trends that are almost surely going to rule the WordPress web design world during this year so that we can properly prepare to adapt.

Scrolling Is Trying To Eliminate Clicking

As time passes, the number of sites that use scrolling is growing. This is mainly because it is highly functional when looking at the mobile environment. The UX is improved when scrolling is used since the entire WordPress web design becomes easy-to-use, interactive and highly intuitive.

One thing that is quite vital with scrolling is that it manages to improve page load time. There are many studies that were conducted and that highlight this. Load time plays a huge part in the success of any site so scrolling should be considered in 2015.

Backgrounds Become The Center Of Attraction

The number of websites that use high quality graphics in an image that is large or a video at a high resolution in the background will keep growing in 2015. It definitely took a long time to get this trend rolling but it is now in full effect.

One of the main reasons why these large background images are used for backgrounds is associated to mobile technology. To put it simply, background videos or images look a whole lot better on a mobile device.

In the event that a background video is properly used as a part of the design’s promotional strategy, it will add a lot of value. We expect to see a growing number of background videos being used in 2015 since it is a really captivating medium that can create the atmosphere that a site owner wants.

With the large background images and videos we can also see more ghost buttons being used. These are smart and minimal design features that will add a lot of elegance and class to the website. It is a sophisticated element but there will be a focus put on it during this year.

Flat Design Keeps Getting More Popular

Some want to see interesting patterns, gradients, bubbles and shadows come back but that will definitely not happen in 2015. Flat design is highly preferred and will be showcased in all its glory because it is intuitive and simple. Minimalism did hit the web design world by storm and offering a flat design is obviously something that has to be considered as the structure of a page has to be intelligible and clear.

It should be highlighted that flat design started being used more around 2 years ago. It is not that new and in 2015 we will reach a point at which it becomes a standard for the web design industry. However, this does not mean that it is not going to change.

In case you were not aware of this fact, Google offered a brand new approach for flat design in what was labeled as being material design. While it is not actually a standard or too much considered, we see an approach on bold graphics, meaningful motion and visual metaphors, all trying to take flat design to a new height. Whether or not that happens is an entirely difficult thing.

More Typography Used

Basically all industry experts currently agree that this year will be that of typography. We clearly noticed that in 2014 it was used as much more than an embellishment, transforming and becoming a huge part of various design aesthetics. There are many possibilities available and we expect to see a clear match between material and virtual campaigns, all with the main focus on offering a consistency across a multitude of marketing platforms. New fonts are developed every single day so it is quite obvious that you will be able to find something that perfectly matches what you had in mind with the promotion of a specific campaign. Use that to your advantage. The competition surely will!

Focus Put On Storytelling

Whenever referring to branding and marketing, the narrative becomes a lot more important as time passes. We define storytelling as being a process of creating the narratives that will help put the brand in a specific context while respecting a specific set of values or principles. This automatically means that consumer engagement is increased.

In 2015 you will see many sites taking advantage of storytelling. This ranges from web design and simple design elements to brand narratives. The brand has to end up using a whole lot more images and videos. They will be integrated into a story together with infographics and typography, all with the purpose of creating a better experience for the visitor.

Card Design Becomes A Standard

This is mainly due to the fact that Pinterest is growing at a completely unexpected rate. Card design will be a lot more important this year since it quickly becomes a standard for rearranging and organizing all the information present on the real estate of a website, making your layout functional and completely uncluttered.

What many do not actually understand is that there is much more to card design than just the visual aspect. It is also functional as it can prompt the user to perform an action like pinning, buying, liking and sharing. You will see more use as brands want to engage more with the consumer. WordPress web design is necessary for that so card design does make sense.

What About Responsive Design?

Every single person that follows the web design industry knows that responsive design is much more than just a trend. As mobile use is growing, responsive design is definitely the one industry standard that you have to always take into account when creating a website. Whenever a person does not manage to create a site that would respond properly on different screen sizes, a huge mistake is made. Every single WordPress web theme that is currently created uses responsive elements and those that do not are not even considered anymore. In 2015 we can only see sites that do not have responsive design making changes and the vast majority of the new sites will feature responsive design.

Removing Raster Images And Replacing Them With SVG

SVG (scalable vector graphics) will increase in popularity. Pixel density is really important for the modern screen. The designer is now faced with the huge problem of ending up with rasterized images looking really bad on the new generation of mobile devices. These scalable vector graphics solve the problem so we will see them used a lot in 2015.

Just as the term implies, images that are under an SVG format will adjust based on the resolution of the device while maintaining the quality. As opposed to using Flash, which is capable of doing almost the same thing, SVGs will be indexed by the search engines, offering an SEO benefit that is highly important. The only problem is that scalable vector graphics are not naturally supported by WordPress. You will need to get around that problem and we do expect to see some plugins released or a large scale platform modification to add support for SVG.

UX Personalization

Relevant content is highly important for the evolution of a site. Every single brand realizes this. When the content is relevant, the user experience is improved. Cookie use is something that is common because of this. During 2015 we can expect to see brand new ways in which relevant content is offered for the visitors.

Various elements like articles recently visited or read become common and have the focus of offering a site that is more relevant and familiar. Additions like Google Analytics will aid a lot since you will be able to realize what the user wants. Designers can offer brand new content of interest with the use of more advanced UX platforms.

More Infographics?

This is definitely a part of the article that will be a little controversial. A lot of people say that infographics are no longer as great as they used to be but that is definitely not the case. The problem is that infographics are not properly used by most people. However, this does not actually mean that we will not see an increase in infographic usage.

Web design is all about creative information display that puts the user first. The infographic offers a whole lot of information in a highly creative way and is focused on images and text at the same time. With this in mind, it is clear why it is useful to increase consumer engagement and entertainment.

The only problem is that you cannot simply create an infographic and expect to gain benefits. You need to be sure that they are created properly and that they perfectly match the overall design of the WordPress site. This is something that a lot of people miss. It takes a whole lot of work to be successful when using infographics in order to promote a brand.

Fly-Out Menus On Desktop Computers

The fly-out menu is a little controversial at the moment. Those 3 lines that indicate the presence of a collapsible menu on a mobile computer is definitely something that everyone knows. It is driven by the use of UI design and most people think about mobile uses when mentioning the term “fly-out”.

What is interesting is that this type of menu is also useful on desktop computers and we can easily anticipate the increase of use on sites in 2015, with a focus on offering simplicity to the visitor.

The great news is that there are various WordPress themes that already include fly-out menus. That is especially true when referring to the 1 page themes since these menus are really useful for them. In the event that you want to use a theme that does not have the menu supported, you can use plugins that make this happen.

Conclusions

On the whole, 2015 will all be about the user and not necessarily about how sophisticated the design of a site is. We need to realize that sites are meant to be tools that are used by the owners in order to offer information so if the visitor does not get the information that he needs or that information is not offered in a proper way, the X button will be used.

As people start to get connected to the internet even when they are travelling thanks to the advancements made in mobile technology, 2015 WordPress design trends will be dominated by the responsive needs that appear when referring to the use of a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet to browse the internet.

Sites will change and those that do not use a responsive design will surely end up lagging behind and the competition will become more popular. We already know that Google highlighted the fact that the search engine ranking algorithm will be impacted by the built of a site. To put it as simple as possible, those sites that do not offer a responsive design will most likely end up placed lower in results. It is something that we cannot neglect.

Consider absolutely all the 2015 WordPress design trends that were mentioned and do take them into account. This will allow you to come up with a much better overall design that will give you access to a better image being created for the promoted brand. It is vital that customer satisfaction is high so the user is the center of attention in design at the moment.