Web design has evolved in many different ways over the years, especially from its beginning days in the early 1990s. The first website ever launched was on August 6, 1991, more than 30 years ago. It was quite sparse in terms of design, only being made up of text, several links, and boasting general information about the World Wide Web. And in the 30+ years since that very first website went up online, the trends of web design have gone through tremendous changes to get us to where we are today.
A digital revolution of its own, the trends of web design have shifted over time from very basic sites with limited functionality to the more polished, sleek websites with bells and whistle we are familiar with well into the 2020s. But how exactly did we get here?
Below, we are going to take a quick trip through the evolving trends of web design and how it has helped to shape today’s web page as we know it.
The 90s – The Starting Point
We cannot discuss the trends of web design without going back to the beginning. The 90s were the start of web design in a rather basic format in ways that aligned with much slower internet access and slow connection speeds. Most websites during this period, particularly in the early 90s, were quite bare bones, often featuring nothing more than walls of text with minor features like headers and tags.
Later on in the 90s, more visual design elements would be introduced as the wall of text site design shifted. Web design companies and individual designers started using design elements like columns and rows to help bring more readability and visual interest to websites. This shift towards a more visually appealing website design is a key moment in evolving trends and we still see its impact today!
While we have largely stepped away from table-based web design – in part because of slow load times in an era where speed is imperative – its impact cannot be understated. Being able to have non-linear web pages and the ability to create different sections on a site allowed designers and responsive web design companies the chance to get creative in how to present information to users.
The 2000s – Big Changes Underway
Often considered to be a golden era for web design, the 2000s saw even more major changes to the evolving trends of web design. The first and perhaps largest change in web design came in the form of Cascading Style Sheets, more popularly known as CSS, a coding language that was developed to help designers specify exactly how documents on a website are presented to users entirely separate from HTML. CSS provided web designers with more freedom and flexibility in how to design than ever before while making websites quicker to load and even easier to maintain.
CSS ushered in new visual rules for web designers to keep in mind that we still see used today, including an increased use of whitespace and dropping the use of very bright, in-your-face colors.
By the mid to late 2000s, Web 2.0 had also made its way onto the scene. Defined by Brittanica as the term “devised to differentiate the post-dotcom bubble World Wide Web, with its emphasis on social networking,” Web 2.0 really puts web design on the path to what we currently see in terms of trends. Interactive content and social media are key parts of this change and the emphasis that was put on massive visual changes throughout web design including:
- Use of icons
- Typography
- Color usage
Search engine optimization (SEO) also saw a growing importance in this time as well with a more user centric approach emerging. SEO has since become a critical part of all web design, especially for businesses and organizations that want to connect with target audiences online.
2010s to Now – Where Are We Now
The impact of Web 2.0 was still being felt well into the early 2010s. Responsive web design was just starting to grow in popularity, in part due to the rising use of smart phones following the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. With more users accessing website through mobile devices, responsive web design – which allows designers and responsive web design companies to build sites that automatically adjust their size across any device – was a necessity. Mashable even went so far as to call 2013 the “Year of Responsive Web Design.”
Looking to web design aesthetics for a moment, we’ll easily see that minimalism was extremely popular throughout the 2010s and still has a strong foothold today. Minimalism web design focuses on the use of lots of white space on web pages, flat design, and often simplistic color palettes. Flat design and minimalism is here to stay – even as more bold, illustrative design elements start to trend like:
- Geometric shapes
- Grid lines
- Hand-drawn designs
- Bright colors
And there you have it – a look at some of the ever evolving web design trends that have helped to shape today’s web pages. Over the last 30+ years, web design has gone through many different trends, both big and small. Many have left a lasting impression on how website design is approached today by both independent designers and responsive web design companies alike.
Split Reef is a responsive web design company with offices located in two busy cities, Columbus, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida. They offer a full suite of digital development and digital marketing services including Columbus website design and development, mobile application design for iOS and Android, SEO services, and paid search advertising. As a responsive web design company, Split Reef’s experienced team of technical experts tackle projects of all sizes and types for clients across a variety of industries. They can be contacted online or over the phone to learn more about their services and the cutting edge strategies they employ.
Split Reef is a modern, results-driven digital organization always ready to support clients in their search for digital supremacy. With Split Reef, your budget isn’t going to hold you back from partnering with us to make your project successful. Our offices are located in Columbus, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida.
