The following Color Shuffle button changes the color palette of the page only, with no screen reader indication.
WEB DESIGN IN 2021
A new year marks the possibility for change and progress.
Are you ready? We are.
The report
Here are the major themes that will dominate the digital design industry this year and the role they’ll play in the work we create.
LIFE ON
screen
IMMERSIVE DIGITAL EXPERIENCES ARE REPLACING IRL.
The screen will surpass our real-world expectations by creating stimulating, immersive experiences that make up for what we’ve lost in real life. Robust platforms will blur the boundaries between real and virtual by creating practical experiences—like attending a concert or lecture—that are spatial and rich with elaborate visual effects.
THE WEB IS WHERE WE LIVE
THE WEB IS WHERE WE LIVE
THE WEB IS WHERE WE LIVE
THE WEB IS WHERE WE LIVE
THE WEB IS WHERE WE LIVE
The world’s first online street food festival experience allows users to interact with others and order from food vendors using customizable avatars. Design by Reprise Digital Malaysia, website built by Ministry XR.
Visual journalism by the Research & Development team at The New York Times which fully reconstructs spaces in 3D, enabling them to be seen from any angle.
The Prada SS 2021 Womenswear Show took place online, without a live audience. It was presented as a video with complementary materials, including a 3D VR experience.
Travis Scott's virtual online concert, Astronomical, was built from the ground up in Fortnite.
Designed by Arthur de Almeida, this interactive website teaches photography for beginners.
Created by Yifu Zhang, the website served as the opening event for the 2020 Serving the People show, exhibiting works by BFA students from art schools across the world.
Balenciaga's Fall 2021 collection was unveiled via an elaborate video game made up of five zones, where users can explore a futuristic reality and encounter model avatars.
TREND NO.1
Face
time
OUR REFLECTIONS ARE BECOMING THE STARS OF OUR SCREENS.
A face filter by Aaron Jablonski, a digital artist specializing in AR and face tracking technology.
A face filter by Aaron Jablonski, a digital artist specializing in AR and face tracking technology.
Sylvia is the first virtual influencer to age over time, created by Ziv Schneider, Halime Maloof, Odie Senesh, ANO Agency, Alex Calderwood and Bethany Tabor.
Sylvia is the first virtual influencer to age over time, created by Ziv Schneider, Halime Maloof, Odie Senesh, ANO Agency, Alex Calderwood and Bethany Tabor.
A variable typeface experiment allowing users to design a font based on their facial features and expressions. Co-created by Overtone and Set Snail.
A variable typeface experiment allowing users to design a font based on their facial features and expressions. Co-created by Overtone and Set Snail.
A tool that alerts users whenever they touch their face using a machine learning algorithm and a webcam. Created by Mike Bodge, Brian Moore and Isaac Blankensmith.
A tool that alerts users whenever they touch their face using a machine learning algorithm and a webcam. Created by Mike Bodge, Brian Moore and Isaac Blankensmith.
An open video call where a webcam records users’ facial gestures. Created by Daniel Iregui and Studio Iregular, curated by Liette Gauthier and commissioned by Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic.
An open video call where a webcam records users’ facial gestures. Created by Daniel Iregui and Studio Iregular, curated by Liette Gauthier and commissioned by Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic.
As human communication moves increasingly online, we're constantly faced with our own reflections staring back at us, placing extra emphasis on the face. Memojis, avatars and cutesy, quirky filters present altered versions of ourselves that impact our self-image. Web designers will focus on human identity as they create experiences that not only appeal to end users, but also feature them.
TREND NO.2
Your UI, by you
The following Customize button changes the visual layout only, with no screen reader indication.
FLEXIBLE INTERFACES ALLOW USERS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR OWN LOOK-AND-FEEL, CHAMPIONING SELF-EXPRESSION AND INDIVIDUALISM.
Companies are adapting their content to fit individual users' preferences and craft more personalized experiences, like in Spotify’s end-of-year roundups and Netflix’s artwork personalization.
Users enjoy having more control of their interfaces, with choices like light or dark mode that greatly affect the design of their devices. Facebook and Instagram instant messaging now allow users to pick between various color themes.
Companies are adapting their content to fit individual users' preferences and craft more personalized experiences, like in Spotify’s end-of-year roundups and Netflix’s artwork personalization.
Users enjoy having more control of their interfaces, with choices like light or dark mode that greatly affect the design of their devices. Facebook and Instagram instant messaging now allow users to pick between various color themes.
FLEXIBLE INTERFACES ALLOW USERS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR OWN LOOK-AND-FEEL, CHAMPIONING SELF-EXPRESSION AND INDIVIDUALISM.