5 Major Trends in Web Design for 2025

According to Forbes, the average user takes 0.05 seconds to form their opinion of a website, and this impression is 94 percent related to design [1]. To ensure those opinions are positive, staying up-to-date with the latest trends in web design is crucial for web designers, UI/UX designers, design agencies, and business owners. Use this article to learn about the latest trends in web design in 2024 so you or your organization can craft an immersive experience for users.

Read more: UI vs. UX Design: What's the Difference?

Cluttercore trend in web and graphic design

In stark opposition to minimalist designs and the clean aesthetic, cluttercore is organized chaos. It is trademarked by bright colors personalization. The idea behind cluttercore home design is to display everything you love and have collected over time, such as trinkets and art. Similarly, the cluttercore trend in web design is executed with a "more is more" mindset, mixing complementary colors, patterns, and textures for a busy but aesthetically pleasing end result. Examples of cluttercore visual elements include bold, thick lines and fonts, bento box grids, and the intentional overlapping of graphics to invoke the illusion of depth.

5 more trends in web design to consider

Immersive user experiences featuring animation, illustration, accessibility, and the abstract—let’s explore the emerging design trends of 2024 that are likely to carry into 2025.

1. Micro-animations and freehand illustrations

Micro-animations have become popular in modern web design alongside a freehand revival. The goal of these design elements is to be subtle but impactful, bringing flat designs to life without distracting or overwhelming users. Animations can illuminate what’s important on a page, drawing your attention to specific text or images.

In some instances, illustrations have begun to replace photography, which aligns with another trend of optimizing website loading speed. Illustrated images tend to load faster because they often have smaller file sizes. Illustrations provide a creative space to convey unique ideas and concepts that photographs cannot.

Read more: Graphic Artist vs. Graphic Designer: Understanding the Difference

2. Accessibility and inclusivity

Organizations should be keen to ensure accessibility and inclusivity at every point of the business, which extends to web design. To ensure a seamless user experience for all, there’s a shift toward cutting back on special effects or interactive elements that might create eye strain, surprise, or shock. Additional considerations include auditing a website’s colors, layout, and navigation menus to ensure an optimal user experience for those with disabilities.

More than just a trend, crafting inclusive, memorable experiences drives society forward. Inclusive web design ensures a website is usable, culturally sensitive, ethically responsible, intuitive, and age-appropriate. It requires curating images that feature people of diverse backgrounds, making core features usable for all, and designing consistent digital experiences across devices.

Read more: What is Digital Design? Types, Careers, and How to Get Started

3. Responsive design across devices

A trend related to accessibility and inclusivity is developing responsive design for desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. “Thumb-friendly mobile design” refers to making websites navigable with just your thumb. This involves considering ergonomics to help users reduce strain. How can users reach the menu, select options, and navigate the site with their thumbs? Designers can optimize this experience with user experience research (UX research) and testing.

Another component of responsive web design is speed. According to Google, bounce rates increase by 32 percent when a page takes three seconds to load instead of one [2]. Pages that are heavy with graphics can take longer to load and, therefore, perform worse in search engine results than a simpler design.

Read more: What is a UX Researcher? How to Get the Job

4. Personalized and geo-located content

Geo-location is a trend that will continue into 2025, especially for e-commerce websites. A geo-located website shows different content, language, currency, weather, and news based on the user’s location. Based on this information, websites can further personalize content, such as adjusting layout or colors, or enable push notifications and targeted marketing (such as paid media and social media advertising) to provide discounts and recommendations.

5. Abstract and nostalgic designs

Just like there’s a shift from photography to illustration, the trend in 2024 is to employ abstract designs and tug at heartstrings with nostalgic visuals. Many websites focus on simplicity in design, such as unique lines, two-toned color schemes, and retro-style typography. Textures or art used in web design are increasingly abstract and gradient, opting for sweeping colors and shapes that evoke emotions and memories of the past.

Web designers emphasize white space alongside the abstract as a nod to minimalism, paring down to the basics. Whether a site features a sneaker brand, holistic wellness, or a food waste volunteer group, increasing the white space between sections, paragraphs, and imagery creates a balance for the eyes and mind to highlight what’s important.

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