Like a lot of others, I read the 2010 predicted web design trends, from both a designer’s and developer’s point of view. At first, I thought that most of these creations were designer driven; site designs using bold graphics, large typography, magazine layouts and edgy artistic styles, and trendy technologies like rich media and mashup capable applications developers are enjoying coming up with. But after watching how these new trends were being implemented, I realized that they are actually stemming from the evolving needs of companies competing for internet eyeballs. With corporations progressively vying for search engine status and consumer traffic, social media and mobile applications are new ways to tackle that front.
Blogging has become one of these major movements. According to a recent Socialnomics.net post, there are now over 2 million blogs, and these are increasingly corporate postings. Companies have found that they can increase traffic to their sites; engaging customers and promoting themselves, by “talking” about who they are and what they do, while offering insights and industry thought leadership as a lure. The new web designs are all about blog sites. In fact, most of the uses for the new layouts fall under the category of WordPress site designs. Even in a corporate setting, these pages can have more personality, creating a friendly or edgy interface, while still upholding the brand.
Internet use through mobile or non-traditional platforms has also dramatically increased. With so many choices, companies are scrambling to offer ways for customers to interact through their phones, PDAs and even non-mobile applications like TV. Developing a killer phone App can be a huge boon with regards to traffic.
So while I thought the trends were more “art for art’s sake” in direction, I’m now convinced that the new trends are very much market driven.
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