Must Design
75.5K views | +0 today
Follow
Must Design
Design

Must Design

Design Is Revolutionary
Curated by Martin (Marty) Smith
Your new post is loading...
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

The Hottest Web Design Trends of 2014: Updated | JUST™ Creative

The Hottest Web Design Trends of 2014: Updated | JUST™ Creative | Must Design | Scoop.it
From justcreative.com - October 28, 2014 3:02 PM

An updated look at the hottest best web design trends of 2014 including a showcase of modern web design inspiration.

Marty Note
This @justcreative post hit many nails on the head when it was initially published and Jacob's update of Helga Moreno's post doesn't disappoint either. Things I REALLY agree with:

See Less of (PLEASE):

* Stock photography (no photos? ASK your employees / followers for help but please no more Stepford people in pics on websites).
* Flash (has killed more #seo and sites than you can shake a stick at and fact it is still alive is amazing).
* Capcha - spam sucks but so do capcha forms.

More of PLEASE:

* Content First (implied in Responsive or Mobile First Design is a new way of thinking about, tagging and presenting content).
* Interactive Exploring (BIG AGREEMENT see my post about Time is Money Online https://plus.google.com/+MartinWSmith/posts/RdjAjWoJTHw and tag this next to #gamification).
* Arresting pictures and Video (YES, your great content will be ignored or under-shared UNLESS it is paired with strong visual hooks and supports).

Great post by Helga for Just Creative and so TRUE to our experience of web dev in 2014 for leading ecommerce clients such as Moon Audio.com.

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Hot Web Design Trends for 2014 | Script Tutorials

Hot Web Design Trends for 2014 | Script Tutorials | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.script-tutorials.com - April 28, 2014 10:00 PM

2014 Web Design Trends - Marty Note
Not a secret we are seeing flatter more responsive design in 2014, but I liked the format of the way Script Tutorials explained each trend with examples and wireframes.

2 of these ideas, Video Backgrounds and Interactive Infographics could be huge. Video backgrounds was a new idea to me even halfway through the year.


more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Flattening Out Web Design In 2014: 23 Examples Inspire | Inspiration

Flattening Out Web Design In 2014: 23 Examples Inspire | Inspiration | Must Design | Scoop.it
From webdesignledger.com - March 7, 2014 7:55 AM
Flat design is a concept that was pretty popular a couple years ago and it's back with full strength this year, causing some interesting buzz around the so
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Mobile is changing web design in many ways. One way is we are flattening out design. Flat designs look better on mobile so they are now winning across the web as these 23 examples show. My fav is William Leeks.

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Web Design: 20 Hottest 2014 Trends [+ Scenttrail Take On Each]

Web Design: 20 Hottest 2014 Trends [+ Scenttrail Take On Each] | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.hongkiat.com - February 21, 2014 5:42 PM

2014 We Design Trends

1. Grid Layouts - Agree & Is Good!
Yes visual marketing + pinterest + mobile is making the grid ubiquitous. I created a Mondrian grid in 1999 when we launched FoundObjects.com (not gone sadly). Grids help share MORE information faster and in the same space than any other design element.

2. Image Captions - Agree and is GREAT
The area immediately under an image is HOT. Everyone looks there but few designers use captions to reinforce or explain the image. Paying more attention to keywords under images is a great idea.

3. Extended Form Elements with JQuery - Don't Know? Does anyone?
Can't comment on this trend as it is new to me and I don't program so its potential benefits are fuzzy at the moment.

4. Deeply Focused Landing Pages thanks to Mobile - Agree & Is Cool
Don't understand this trend except enough to say COOL and WANT ONE.

5. HTML5 Video Players - Agree and GLAD
Don't play your videos on YouTube only since you just make the rich get richer. Figuring out how to play videos "in your stack" is important and having your own HTML5 player is cool.

6. 3D vs. 7. Flat Design - I come down on Flat Design as the winner due to mobile.

8. Personal Portraits - Agree and Like

9. SVG Vector sweeps web as browser support escalates. Agree & Glad.

10. Fonts get cool thanks to server advance - cool and like but not a religion or anything lol.

11. Lazy Loading Animations - cool and can think of several uses.

12. Customized Image Galleries - cool and we need.

13. Mega Navigation Menus - Don't know but don't like idea, seems confusing where confusion can really hurt.

14. Expanding Search Bars - cool and will use.

15. Featured Detail List - LIKE and is cool and new to me.

16. Mobile First Design - Agree and am doing my first now with CrowdFunde.

17. HTML5 Canvas - cool and new to me.

18, Pixel Sprites and Browser Games - New to me but COOL!

19. Quick Registration via social - AGREE!

20, CSS3 Keyframe Animation - Cool, want one.


more...
Monica S Mcfeeters's curator insight, February 22, 2014 10:05 AM

Here are some current WEB designing programs.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

5 Gaming Trends to Watch in 2014 For Web Designers

5 Gaming Trends to Watch in 2014 For Web Designers | Must Design | Scoop.it
From readwrite.com - January 10, 2014 11:05 AM

Between brand new consoles and blossoming indie development, this is a year to watch the gaming industry.


Marty Note
The longer I do this (Internet marketing) the more I think lines between content don't make much sense. Uber-content curator Maria Popova (http://www.brainpickings.org) agrees. One of my 2014 goals is to learn as much from Maria as possible. 

Another goal is to mine helpful ideas from wherever they arise. Video games is and has been a huge goldmine for web design, Internet marketing and creative ideas and this post on 5 Gaming Trends to Watch In 2014 from @RWW is right on the money.

Particularly important for website designers is emphasis on storytelling and the cloud. Both will change what we Internet marketers do in 2014 in amazing ways. Great post and I promise to continue to "steal" as much from video game creators as possible :). M  

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Web Design Trends 2014: Simple Long Pages & Interactive Infographics

Web Design Trends 2014: Simple Long Pages & Interactive Infographics | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.pinterest.com - December 31, 2013 5:28 PM

Web Design Trends 2014

* Simplicity.

* Long Pages.
* Interactive Infographics.

YES, YES, YES. These are 3 bedrock web design trends for 2014. Interactive Infographics are going to be a MONSTER trend. Infographics WORK add interactivity and the increased engagement it brings and WE HAVE A WINNER!

If you are a content marketer and you are NOT figuring out how to create interactive infographics next year even if you have to hire an agency to help (OUCH) you are nuts.

more...
Fierce Traveler's curator insight, January 1, 2014 3:14 PM

Thankfully, after a year of building, I'm on track...but really? Infografic travel?

 
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.istockphoto.com - December 15, 2013 1:30 AM
Brush up on what’s trending in the creative world with this quick look at the top visual design themes and tools for 2014.
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Fun infographic from istock on trends for 2013 from nurturig fathers to beards. Smart designers and Internet marketers find ways to create "bridge content" to surf trends like this. Atlantic BT held an annual "beard off" others might right content for how their product or service helps "nurturing fathers".

Touches on the idea of multi-directional content curation discussed in Maria Popova Scoop: http://sco.lt/4mX9nd

Find the interactive infographic here:
http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=1619#.Uq1MuI0hZjF

more...
Amanda Groover's curator insight, December 15, 2013 10:43 PM

Marketing in this decade not only needs but REQUIRES the ability to think outside of the box!  Look at some of the trends appearing in a marketing campaign near you  in the next year!
Jakarta Web Developer's curator insight, August 11, 2014 5:15 PM

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock (Midyear Check)
Alfredo Corell's curator insight, August 12, 2014 3:06 PM

Interactive infographic:
http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=1619#.Uq1MuI0hZjF
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Web design trends for 2014 | Infographic + @ScentTrail Trend Predictions

Web design trends for 2014 | Infographic + @ScentTrail Trend Predictions | Must Design | Scoop.it
From visual.ly - December 13, 2013 2:22 PM

What do we predict will be the web design trends in 2014? Here is an infographic with our predictions

Marty Note
Here are my thoughts on web design in 2014.

1. Code Free = Disagree, not in 2014, I have tried Webydo and it is as hard to master as code so why bother, until there is a tool that is EASIER than code we will continue to code.

2. More CMS based site - Agree and this is another way of saying more blogs acting like websites. Good idea to read my Websites vs. Blog post on Curatti.com earlier in the week to know how to keep the things that matter from a "website" as your blog fills both shoes: Websites vs. Blogs Which One Is Better and Why http://curatti.com/websites-vs-blogs/ .

3. Single Page Sites - Disagree - I GUESS you could have a robust enough social presence that a single page site would be fine, but you give up a lot and you are asking a single page to accomplish a lot. Google doesn't rank websites they rank web pages, so pagespread (# of pages in Google) can help build traffic via SEO (that is left of it anyway).

A single page website is only viable for strong mobile or social players and somewhere there has to be an engine generating NEW out into the world. If you use a single page, push NEW out and then wipe it clean that is simply CRAZY with the way traffic is parsed and how we gain authority today. Oprah could have a single page site, how an average website could achieve all that is needed with a single page is beyond me.

4. Interactive Infographics - Agree with this one. The Infographic has legs, or should say the idea of visualizing content has legs. The infographic is an expression of a larger movement - our desire to understand things FAST.

Other 2014 Web Design Trends I see include:

* Lean Design - This movement plays off of #4 and the strength of the marketing visualization movement. Creating more understanding faster is a trending trend.

* Social Net Tapestry - Website designs MUST be social and agnostic about social nets. Including Facebook, Twitter, GPlus, YouTube, Scoop.it, StumbleUpon and 10 more I can't think of right now in ways that make sharing easy, rewarding and not overwhelming is a trend no one has figured out all that well yet, but we will begin to see novel ideas that build on the social media  "widget" idea in 2014 (only much better let's hope).

* Content Curation - we must build websites in 2014 that are focused on KEY CONVERSATIONS and become agnostic about where those conversations happen. Own the conversation, own the traffic.


Curating content INTO a website (or blog) is an important trend no one has quite figured out yet either. Start with traditional ORM (Online Reputation Management) tools. Use ORM to crack some APIs so when something relevant happens to your company, brands or products out there in social media's north forty you

  1. Know about it.
  2. Filter it into your content by having ways (filters) to attach curated content into existing themes. 
  3. Gamify contributors so reward is generous, immediate and competitive.


* Appification of Everything - the Mobile Revolution is not about the phone. It is about redesigning our THINKING about how information creates interaction, engagement and conversion (so a small thing lol). Thinking of everything we do online as an app we will be improving is a very "Mobile First" way to think. Those who understand the "Appification" of everything will win BIG as the rest of the world catches up in 2014.

* Gamification - If your website design doesn't find ways to profile, reward and share (curate) content from contributors you will fall hopelessly behind in 2014. The social web is here, despite few understanding the breadth of that that means, and websites need to promote an ever increasing amount of User Generated Content (UGC). Best way to do that is by using game theory to create web design.

 

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

5 Disappearing Web Design Trends & 10 We Wish WOULD Vanish (fat chance)

5 Disappearing Web Design Trends & 10 We Wish WOULD Vanish (fat chance) | Must Design | Scoop.it
From webdesignledger.com - December 6, 2013 4:48 PM
If you’re looking forward to changes that come with starting a new year, you may also be excited to learn what sorts of trends are emerging in the web design
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Great post and here are my takes on web design trends that will disappear next year:

Sliding Banners - AGREE and good riddance.
Flash Intros - Agree and bye to the pad and SEO killers.
Too Many Fonts - Agree

 

10 web design trends we WISH would go away (but won't)

Ubiquitous, nasty popunders demanding email subscription.
Bad headlines or poor "tease" intros.
Visuals that don't align to the content they are on.
No contrast CTAs.
No clear CTAS.
The more than 2 minute long online video.
The "White Paper".
The lack of great storytelling.
The "lowest common denominator" design.
Too much color misaligned with the brand or the site

 

more...
Intriguing Networks's curator insight, December 7, 2013 9:08 AM

A good weekend subject thanks
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Clean & Simple Website Design Trends In 2014

Clean & Simple Website Design Trends In 2014 | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.creativebeacon.com - July 29, 2014 2:30 PM
Like the World Wide Web itself, the world of website design is constantly in flux as technologies change and design standards evolve. What worked in 2013 may

Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Worth revisiting some of these web design trends. What is the engine behind these trends? Social / Mobile web. Like the "winners" and "losers" organization here.

more...
Carlos Polaino Jiménez's curator insight, July 29, 2014 2:59 PM

En el momento en que me lo estoy planteando
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

12 Web Features To Disappear in 2014 [+ Scenttrail Notes]

12 Web Features To Disappear in 2014 [+ Scenttrail Notes] | Must Design | Scoop.it
From mashable.com - March 8, 2014 12:00 PM
We asked 12 entrepreneurs which website features small businesses should avoid (or get rid of) at all costs.
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Marty Notes:

1. Irrelevant Elements - Agree (every test I've ever run shows 20% of links on any page get 80% of clicks so lots of garbage and designing Mobile First on CrowdFunde (my first time) MAKES you toss the garbage.

2. Flash Intros - AGREE

3. Photo Carousel - I like photo carousels but use them sparringly.

4. Large Hero Images - Trend is other way and think this can be done well but agree risky.

5. Stock Photos - AGREE

6. Animated GIFs - AGREE (can't figure out VINE in this regard).

7. Autoplay Videos - AGREE

8. Automated Popups - YES & Popunders too (realize popunders get 1% of your traffic to sign up for email, but what about the 99%? If we want your email we will sign up otherwise stop popping stuff up at us.

9. 'Hello World' Blog Post - Agree but give newbies a break since this is WP default.

10. Sidebars - DISAGREE
Sidebar nav and feeds can be done well so I wouldn't toss the baby with the bathwater on this one.

11. Reloading Pages - Agree (don't know this well enough to comment really but sounds right).

12. M.dot Sites - Agree (same as #11

more...
Mike Power's comment, March 9, 2014 3:29 PM
Agree with it all except the sidebars. It's not about whether there are sidebars or not, it's about how they areexecuted, just as it is for the rest of the page. And sidebars don't have to be narrow. And responsive designs have no problem placing the sidebar content below the main content. I love good single-column webpages but it's not the only game in town.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

18 Pivotal 2014 Web Design Trends [+ Scenttrail take]

18 Pivotal 2014 Web Design Trends [+ Scenttrail take] | Must Design | Scoop.it
From econsultancy.com - February 27, 2014 1:14 AM

What web design trends do you think we'll see in 2014? I'm betting on more simplicity, more cleanliness, and more focus on smaller screen sizes, among other things.

Marty Note

1. Flat UI - AGREE and general agreement.2. 'Mobile first' - AGREE! & trying to wrestle that pig to ground now with CrowdFunde.3. Yet more scrolling - Agree and coming from mobile too.

4. More HTML5 goodness - Agree.

5. More HTML5 badness - Yes goes hand-in-hand with #4

6. Micro UX - New to me, can't judge yet.

7. Less text - Agree we are moving to the visual web and lean content (more infographics, arresting images and graphics less text)


.8. Minimalist navigation - Agree and this is coming from MOBILE (working CrowdFunde's "mobile first" design right now and navigation is expensive in mobile.


9. CSS replaces images - Agree CSS Canvas is going to make many images needless weight on the page.


10. Video / moving backgrounds - AGREE!


11. Richer content experiences - Agree especially video.


12. Making the most of one page - Agree, but don't agree with single page sites (we aren't there yet).


13. Varied typography - Agree there is a lot happening on the server side with type.


14. Monochromatic design - New to me, but more likely than


15. Hypercolour - Not Sure color is easy to do BAD online and more color can make a mess.


16. Cards / tiles - Fascinating and new to me, read why cards are future of the web

http://insideintercom.io/why-cards-are-the-future-of-the-web/


17. Bigger, better imagery (Agree, cloud caching and CDNs making this possible).


18. Fixed position content / navigation - Agree as social widgets already doing this

more...
Tyler Richendollar's curator insight, March 6, 2014 10:38 AM

Some seriously great design ideas and trends for 2014 and forward.  Really a solid summary of what the web looks like today, and will evolve through. 
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Software Development Trends 2014 You May Not Have Heard About

Software Development Trends 2014 You May Not Have Heard About | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.infoq.com - January 12, 2014 9:41 AM
2014's lurking around the corner: what technologies will take off and have a major impact, which of the fashions and fads of 2013 will become important trends and game changers in 2014.
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Ever think you know enough about the technology we all depend upon? Don't since things change and then change again way too fast for any one to "know" anything (lol). This post outlines a group of highly technical changes that will impact our web and software designs next year whether we know or realize them or not:

  • Hadoop and its ecosystem
  • Software Defined Networks
  • Containers and low overhead virtualization
  • Private clouds
  • Devops
  • Internet of Things
  • Low-latency Services: soft-realtime on the web
  • Return of SQL (the language)
  • Return of RDBMS
  • Hosted Development Environments:
  • Immutable Deployment or Immutable Infrastructure:
  • Languages for JavaScript:
  • JavaScript as Universal Runtime:
  • Native development Back?
  • Solutions to Callback Hell
  • Functional in the Mainstream


My favorites are private clouds, their note about Internet of Things and questioning immutable deployment.

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Neon Web Design Trends in 2014

Neon Web Design Trends in 2014 | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.ihubmedia.com - January 4, 2014 1:55 PM
Why keeping up with web design trends is vital In today’s fast-evolving trends, people’s interests are being influenced briskly by the web, wherein onlin


Marty Note
Like #7, use of Neon Colors as accents. Color is so tricky online its use as "accents" is the best idea. Will see if I can find a "neon color accent" example and shsre it, but sounds like a cool trend I've only read about from this Chinese social agency.

Other trends noted include ones we've seen in several of these "what's up for 2014" posts including:

* Simple.

* Flat.
* All in one.

* Responsive.
* scrolling.

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Forbes Sees Big Fonts, FLAT, Mobile, Responsive, Continuous Scrolling For Website Design In 2014

Forbes Sees Big Fonts, FLAT, Mobile, Responsive, Continuous Scrolling For Website Design In 2014 | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.forbes.com - December 26, 2013 9:35 PM
It's been about five years since the last redesign of my website, Hitched. A lot has changed since then, most particularly the rise of mobile.
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Don't disagree with any of these 2014 web design trends highlighted by Forbes. 

more...
Lori Wilk's curator insight, December 26, 2013 10:21 PM

The pace of change seems to have gotten even faster over the last year.
Sign up to comment
Rescooped by Martin (Marty) Smith from Must Design
Scoop.it!

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock (Midyear Check)

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock (Midyear Check) | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.istockphoto.com - August 11, 2014 4:13 PM

This is the most shared, visited and viewed post on Design Revolution. December is always HOT for trend predictions.  Interesting to look over December's predictions to see if they are coming true:

1 & 2 Diverse Women & Hands Dirty Dads
Gladly we are seeing both of these trends. Loved Dove's What Dad's Really Do campaign
http://adweek.it/1kYVCwI

3. Beards
Yes beards on on the rise thanks to sports stars and Hollywood.

4. Lens Flare
We are seeing LESS stock art (thankfully) and more "real" photos and videos. Marketers are starting to realize sharing warts and all helps create authenticity and a sense of immediacy.

5. Human as Robot
Not sure this trend is happening any more or less than it already was.

6. Cameras we wear
I think Google Glass is sucking up much of this "wearable" trend at the moment, but  GoPro hasn't done badly (lol).

7. Multi-racial Models (was STRONG going into the year, stronger now).

8. World Cup
Was huge and America STILL doesn't get soccer :).

9. Witches and bye bye vampires (end of True Blood signals this trend is right on and about time).

10. Handcrafted Vectors
This is another "break down the perfection" trend and seeing it too (like the lens flare or nonperfect but more real photo).

11. Instagrammy FOODies - this is BLOWING UP almost as fast as "selfies".

12. Experiences over Things = Team Curagami (http://www.curagami.com ) is placing a HUGE bet on this one as we see the future of ecommerce being about the quality of interactions instead of their quantity.

13. Creative Collaboration - another one team Curagmai is betting on HUGE and we are seeing demand grow. Think about your life. I like to say I don't "passively consume anything" anymore. If I can't bend, shape and spin the content I go somewhere else. If the content isn't fascinating, cool and fun I go somewhere else. Curagami makes this "ambassador" interaction easy so your customers can advocate and share your brand.

TRIBES are the key going forward.

I would say IStock got way more RIGHT than wrong with their December design predictions. What do you think?

more...
Amanda Groover's curator insight, December 15, 2013 10:43 PM

Marketing in this decade not only needs but REQUIRES the ability to think outside of the box!  Look at some of the trends appearing in a marketing campaign near you  in the next year!
Jakarta Web Developer's curator insight, August 11, 2014 5:15 PM

Web and Graphic Design Trends 2014 – Infographic via istock (Midyear Check)
Alfredo Corell's curator insight, August 12, 2014 3:06 PM

Interactive infographic:
http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=1619#.Uq1MuI0hZjF
Sign up to comment
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith
Scoop.it!

Color Trends 2014

Color Trends 2014 | Must Design | Scoop.it
From www.adverblog.com - December 8, 2013 1:21 AM
istock approached creatives from around the world and collected the strongest trends in colour and design: Pantone's Color of the Year and Top 10 Hot or Not.
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Pantone weighs in with hot color trends for 2014. 

more...
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
About Follow us Resources Terms Mobile Features
Facebook
X
LinkedIn