2020 brought on a huge increase in online shopping. Many brick-and-mortar locations hurriedly created online stores, shifted business models to adjust for the increased online orders, and figured out how to ship out their products. Unfortunately, some of these online stores were rushed and poorly designed. 2021 is the year of the redesign, and brands have started to makeover their e-commerce sites. Let’s take a look at some of the hottest trends that happened in e-commerce design this year.
Color and typography have a huge impact on how long customers stay on your site. The psychology of color and typography are what bring new customers to your site in the first place. This year we have seen an increase of bright, bold colors and a simple design. There are more neutral background colors, with pops of color throughout the design. This draws the eye to the visual elements brands want shoppers to purchase. At the forefront of the color and type areas is vaporwave. This trend uses a very bold palette, neon tones, abstract shapes, vintage typography, psychedelic backgrounds, retro gradients, and other old-school designs.
Another trend at the front line in 2021 is animation. Some animations are used to explain what users need to do, to transition from page to page, create a more immersive customer experience, or show better product details or a product in action. Whatever reason brands have for using animations, this is the year for it. From small businesses to large-scale e-commerce, sites everywhere are using animations to keep customers engaged and on their sites.
Navigation is also taking center stage in 2021. E-commerce sites are moving the navigation menus from the top, bottom, or sides of their websites, which are typically hard to find, and making them the star of the show. With the addition of animation, fun color and typography, and customer-focused designs, customers can easily find what they need and better understand the brand’s style, mission, and values.
If 2020 was the boom for online stores, then 2021 is the boom for mobile-friendly websites. More and more people rely on their smartphones rather than a computer or laptop. It’s easier to browse a website from your phone while you’re binging the latest Netflix series or waiting to pick up your kid from school. Brands are making their websites mobile-friendly, and search engines prefer websites that are optimized for mobile.
3D, AR, VR, and AI are also part of the 2021 e-commerce equation. Using 3D graphics, virtual and augmented reality, and AI chatbots are some of the more cutting-edge trends taking 2021 by storm. These technologies can be used to create virtual shopping experiences, give a complete view of a product, make sure products stand out, showcase a before/after effect, and make talking to customers more manageable than ever before.
2021 is taking e-commerce websites to new heights. Not all trends are created equal, and some might not be the right fit for your brand. Make sure if you do implement a new trend, that you are testing and experimentation to make sure you will get the results you want. If you need help developing, designing, or redesigning your e-commerce website, Design Spinners is here to help!