Trendwatch
While it’s difficult to predict the future, there are some clear indications about where design is going this year. Though design trends in general are often little more than stylistic fads, some are more substantive and happen for a good reason. The most interesting design trends usually tie into what’s going on in our world, reflect new advancements in technology, or help express certain political or social viewpoints. Considering all of these factors, following are a few noteworthy trends to keep your eye on in ‘09.
1. Green Design
Influenced by people’s growing concern for the environment and energy independence, and fueled by the emphasis that our new administration is placing on “going green”, a “green design” trend has surfaced and we expect it to gain momentum through 2009 and beyond. The trend spans all disciplines of design and is distinguished by unique properties that promote a healthier environment, such as recycled material, biodegradability, and all natural ingredients that come from renewable resources. Graphic design used to promote green products and causes tends to be colorful, but muted and understated, very clean and simple, yet entertaining and interesting. Fresh, bright and optimistic characterizes the feel of green design.
2. Online Video
We have seen an explosion of online video in 2008, and we expect this trend to accelerate in 2009. As our CEO Craig Cooke wrote in the May Issue of The Source, online video is one of the most engaging mediums for marketers. Online video became mainstream with YouTube, but other sites like Hulu.com continued the trend. High Definition (HD) video will have a big impact in 2009 as well. YouTube has already switched to the 16:9 format for their video files and will feature HD video soon on their site. With Adobe’s Flash Player 10 and its ability to play videos with the new, improved format, H.264 codec, users will come to expect great quality and high production values when watching video over the web.
3. High-Quality Photography
Just as HD technology will increase the demand for high-quality video online, we expect there to be a growing need for high-quality photography, though for slightly different reasons. The web is over saturated with the same pictures, purchased at a relatively small price from one of the many stock photography sites. Middle-market companies aren’t the only ones that suffer from this. Even larger businesses are struggling to get by with smaller marketing budgets and as such, opt for cheaper stock photography to support their marketing efforts. The more this trend continues, high-quality, original photography will become increasingly important in order for companies to accurately express their brand and set themselves apart in the marketplace. For example, for many products sold online, users expect to have the capability of exploring them from all angles, turning and rotating the product as they wish. Online shoppers want to have the next best experience to holding the product in their own hands. Automobile manufacturer websites generally do a great job of showcasing detailed, high-quality photography to really describe the product. Despite tight budgets, we see the need for high-quality photography to increase as marketers witness their image eroding from overuse of inexpensive, lower quality, royalty-free stock.
4. Lightweight Websites
We will see more and more focus on lightweight website designs and designs optimized for mobile devices. Lightweight designs are characterized by sparing use of elements that tend to weigh a page down and cause it to load slower. Consumers are already spending more time on their mobile devices than ever before. As smart phones become more web-friendly, users will access the web while out and about to do various things like compare prices with other stores while shopping at the mall, make dinner reservations, buy movie tickets or what have you. Especially with the proliferation of the iPhone and newer Blackberry models, 2009 is the year that brands will scramble to make mobile-friendly versions of their site available. Failing to do so will result in companies missing out on the immeasurable opportunity of doing online business with their customers while outside of their home or work.
5. AJAX Technology
AJAX was popularized a couple of years ago and it’s just now becoming more commonplace on the web. Sparing our readers too technical an explanation, AJAX basically allows for advanced interactivity to take place through a web browser – the type of behavior that before was only achievable through a stand alone program installed on your computer. One simple example would be when a new “window” seems to appear inside the active browser window, after the user selects something like “view this product larger”. In the past, selecting that option would usually invoke a new, physical browser window, which is okay, but a little clunky and now with “pop up blockers” being the norm, they may not work properly. With the new AJAX-driven pop-up window, sometimes referred to as a “lightbox” effect, the background of the page dims and the faux window seems to come to the fore. There is typically a “close” button which makes the faux window go away and restores the previous view. It’s a much neater way to quickly switch between views within a site experience while maintaining your bearings. The creative possibilities for AJAX are virtually endless and we expect to see more innovative applications of this technology in 2009.
