Today’s websites have graduated from flashy and complex to clean and simple. What once impressed web audiences — animated text, dancing GIFs and page-hit counters — no longer does the trick. Users want simplicity. They want to find what they’re looking for fast — preferably on a mobile device. Designers have had to adapt to create a seamless user experience.

Web design will once again evolve in 2015, and those of us in the higher ed space will have to evolve with it.

Here are 3 of the web design trends you can expect to see emerging this year:

1. Scrolling over clicking

When users visit a website on a mobile device, they don’t want to spend time zooming in and out to click a button or bounce around from page to page trying to find the information they need. That’s why many companies have opted to rely less on buttons and more on innovative scrolling to appeal to the mobile user.

Smart Water does a great job of integrating scrolling on their website. Note: If you’ve always wanted to play with clouds, this site is for you.

Takeaway: Buttons are out, scrolling is in. Think about how you could strategically place the information potential students search for most on your home page. Make it easily accessible to users who want to scroll long pages instead of clicking between many short pages.

Take a look at how Chapman University makes great use of scrolling:

2. Interactivity and storytelling

If your content is your story, your web design is the film adaptation. Engaging content communicates your brand message, but good web design brings it to life. To appeal to users, your website should have both.

Check out how National Geographic tells the story of food:

What’s more interesting — reading pages of content about the history of food, or exploring it through interactive web design?

Takeaway: There are plenty of ways colleges and universities can engage potential students using interactive storytelling. Say you want to give users an in-depth look into the history of your institution. Rather than recounting your history in paragraph form, incorporate interesting images users can hover over and click if they want to explore.

See how Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design uses interactive design so students can explore degree offerings?

3. Big and bold type

To make the biggest impact when users visit your site, your brand message should be front and center. One of the ways many companies have been doing this is through big, bold font paired with full-scale background images. It’s an effective tactic for focusing your audience’s attention, and regardless whether users are browsing your site on a desktop computer monitor, laptop or mobile device, your site layout stays the same.

Adventure.com takes a unique approach to web design using large handwritten fonts and rotating videos:

Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to make a big statement on your website with eye-catching fonts and interesting images. Even if you have a small web design budget, there are plenty of free type kits like Google Fonts available online. Just make sure the font you use promotes readability.

SCAD does simplicity well on their home page, using one large, striking image and minimal buttons and text.

The web is changing and so are the ways users interact with it. Responsive web design isn’t just a feature anymore — it should be a key component of your website. Check out our inbound marketing checklist to learn more about web design.

What are some interesting web design styles you’ve seen done well? Let us know in the comments.

Sources:
http://justcreative.com/2015/01/02/web-design-trends-predictions-2015/
http://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/web-design-trends-to-look-out-for-in-2015
http://thenextweb.com/dd/2015/01/02/10-web-design-trends-can-expect-see-2015/
http://www.sitepoint.com/big-web-design-trends-for-2015/