Most Interesting Design Trends Among Blogs: 2010

 Posted in Web Design 842 days ago • Written by: Cyrus Patten
  • Buffer
  • Pin It
  •  37

title design trends among blogs design tips designThe web is an dynamic, organic being. It evolves as people do, responding to trends in blogging and design by constantly raising the bar. With millions of bloggers out there, we see constant evolutions of the next design trend.

Here are some of my favorite recent trends in web design. Although the examples listed here may not be the orginator of the trend, they are the first to catch my eye.

preview most interesting design trends among blogs 2010 design tips design

Web 2.0

The design trend associated with Web 2.0 is actually multiple trends rolled into one.

  • Round corners
  • Glossy/Shiny graphics
  • Big, prominent graphics
  • Larger, non-serif typography

web20-web-design-trends

Simple

I’ve often said, a designer who can pull off a simplistic design is just as talented as the one that can create a super-complex one. That is because a simple design is more than just leaving elements out. It is about balancing design, carefully choosing colors and typography, and expertly integration navigation and content to create an effective and smooth design.

simple-web-design-trends

Whole site branding integration

Orginally, web designs included a header, with a logo and a content section, with the content. Recently, designers are pushing the limits by incorporating colors, logos, branding, messaging and graphics throughout the entire site, not just the header.

continuity-web-design-trends

Advanced typography

Web designers are putting much more thought into typography. There are many resources popping up to pick a typography set. Once upon a time, designs included an h1, h2, and p style. Now some designs include dozens of different font stylings.

typography-web-design-trends

Single page design

Along with designing simpler sites, designers are exploring ways to keep content on one page. In portfolios, showcases or simple informational sites, developers are looking for ways to put all content on page one so the readers sees it all without having to click through anywhere. The example below you will recognized as Twitter. As arguably one of the top 5 sites on the web, everything you need to know about Twitter is located on the front page.

twitter-one-page-web-design-trends

AJAX

You know AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML), it is that cool interaction when you click something on a site and it changes, without reloading. This is a huge advancement in web design technology and allows users to get the content they desire without moving about the site. Most major publishing platforms have integrated AJAX into their codex. The leader is easily seen in all the WordPress AJAX plugins.

ajax-web-design-trends

Large images

Advances in compression technology, increased internet access speeds have allowed designers to grow the size and quality of images they use in new designs. This makes for an appealing and graphically pleasing design.

big-images-web-design-trends

Perspective and depth

Strategically using dropshadows, angles and overlaps, designers have added a 3rd dimension to web design that was previously limited to 2 dimensions. Using these techniques, designers are able to draw user attention to specific areas consistent with the goals of the site. Perhaps conversion forms, twitter buttons or featured content.

dimension-web-design-trends

Themed designs

Designers are adding overarching themes like grunge, retro, whimsical, etc. These themes tie together all elements of a design and give the user a feeling of continuity, adding to the overall experience.

grunge-web-design-trends

Specific purpose

Designers have realized that themes should be designed for a specific purpose such as magazine, portfolio, green, blogging, etc. Designing for a purpose allows the designer and webmaster to focus on function and not generalize the design so it can be used across multiple different sites.

style-web-design-trends

Additional Resources

 Did you enjoy this article and found it useful?

Cyrus Patten is a community consultant, university instructor and social worker in Burlington, VT. He is the editor of Pingable.org, a blog about Wordpress plugins, themes and tools.
Free Website
 

 36 Brilliant Comments - Join Discussion Now!

  • agel

    Posted 835 days ago
    26

    Great, thanks for sharing.

  • Edward Julio B. Tuppil

    Posted 836 days ago
    25

    IEMAI was the best… A very Nice Concept… Really Cool… Everythings Nice and great!!! :X

  • Dainis Graveris

    Posted 837 days ago
    23

    Thank you! Great to see your appreciation for this research! Thanks to Cyrus!

  • Kris Harris

    Posted 837 days ago
    22

    Coming from a web design company myself we are getting more customers wanting blogs for their sites or want us to re-design their existing. Seeing these blogs have given us some great ideas for our future customers. Thanks.

  • Josh Kohlbach

    Posted 838 days ago
    21

    From what I can tell as far as trends for 2010 go the concentration seems to be on two main things:

    - Nice big headers that are pretty, but more importantly, functional.
    - Ample use of whitespace to promote clarity

    I’m not sure the content here describes trends as such, but they sure are a nice collection of inspiring designs.
    .-= Josh Kohlbach´s last blog ..The Lazy Mans Guide To Designing Your Customer’s Website =-.

  • website ontwerp

    Posted 838 days ago
    20

    Very great overview! I personally like the simple and typography stuff as todays trends. Like designwise, grafik and sanguine. Keep it up!

  • Web Design Maidstone

    Posted 839 days ago
    19

    Some really nice insights

  • Andrew M

    Posted 839 days ago
    18

    I guess it depends on how you define trends. What you describe here are random observations of the past. Any possible trends happened years ago. The Web 2.0 look and feel was a trend overt two years ago.

    This article stats the obvious and provides no insight and little value. Your title must have been created for SEO purposes as it has all of the buzz words – 2010, trends, etc. although your content does not deliver.

    • Dainis Graveris

      Posted 837 days ago
      24

      Hey, good point though you should agree it’s hard to define what’s really new in Year 2010, because big trends will stay all the time, they just will change – for example web 2.0 is staying more subtle, but trend as name is still staying.

      This article tries to define and show some new and subtle changes which could be interesting to notice.

      I am sorry if you were expecting more than you received. We definitely try our best to deliver.

  • Anggayasha

    Posted 839 days ago
    17

    Yes, web with large image quite popular for now.

  • AnggaRifandi

    Posted 839 days ago
    16

    Thanks for this great article and resources :)
    .-= AnggaRifandi´s last blog ..Wallpaper Blogger in Your Own Word =-.

  • jeprie

    Posted 839 days ago
    15

    Nice article. I really agree with the one page trend.
    .-= jeprie´s last blog ..Membuat Poster Wanted Bergaya Koboi dengan Sobekan Kertas =-.

  • Claudio Rimann

    Posted 840 days ago
    14

    i like the designs you showcased. but in one point i disagree. web 2.0 is – imho – much more than just a “design trend” or how a website looks. it’s the whole concept of interaction between creator and consumer, which changed the web to version 2.0, not only the look and feel of it.

  • Ian Devlin

    Posted 840 days ago
    13

    Interesting list, thanks for that.
    .-= Ian Devlin´s last blog ..iandevlin.com mentioned on Web Design Ledger =-.

  • Cher Cabula

    Posted 840 days ago
    12

    Great Read! Thanks for sharing!
    .-= Cher Cabula´s last blog ..Project 365 January Roundup =-.

  • insic

    Posted 840 days ago
    11

    Interesting post about web design trend.
    .-= insic´s last blog ..Stunning & Inspiring HD Wallpapers for your Desktop =-.

  • Serge

    Posted 840 days ago
    10

    Nice showcase!

    a lot of inspiration

  • sarbartha

    Posted 840 days ago
    9

    I thought that I will experience something interesting over the list of design trend 2010.
    .-= sarbartha´s last blog ..iPad CONTEST: 3 Chance to win a FREE Apple Tablet =-.

  • Webstandard-Blog

    Posted 840 days ago
    8

    Nice overview, but all of them were already trends in 2009. So we have to see, if something “new” is coming into 2010?
    .-= Webstandard-Blog´s last blog ..Navigation Menu made by jQuery – Best of Tutorials =-.

  • ferizaenal

    Posted 840 days ago
    7

    thanks… :)

  • Theo

    Posted 841 days ago
    6

    Very interesting.
    Thank you for this article!
    .-= Theo´s last blog ..Suchmaschinen-Optimierung, der Weg nach vorn =-.

  • Vladimir Remenar

    Posted 841 days ago
    5

    I would make a prominent place for white space usage. Designer are exploring and using white space more effectively than ever. Just take a look at Drawar, Andy Ruthledge’s Design View, Astheria and 52 Weeks of UX.
    .-= Vladimir Remenar´s last blog ..Hacking websites: The Series =-.

  • Nijiko Yonskai

    Posted 841 days ago
    4

    I like the simple :<

  • Kevin

    Posted 842 days ago
    3

    While I agree with most of your points (especially typography, large images, and depth/perspective), the web 2.0 arena has warn it’s welcome. If anything, simplistic designs with the trends you described are replacing it.

  • Mark

    Posted 842 days ago
    2

    I love the depth and perception example; I’ve never seen that done before. It would look amazing in a nice deep colored blue IMHO.
    .-= Mark´s last blog ..Video from the Fresh Prince. =-.

  • Matthew Heidenreich

    Posted 842 days ago
    1

    I see the glossy/shiny graphics element of 2.0 starting to fade away. Now when i come across a site with big glossy icons, i find it tacky. Thought this is strange, since just a couple years ago it seemed that it was a necessary element of your design. While i still feel glossy is good in some cases, it’s getting a lot more subtle than it used to be back when the 2.0 craze started.
    .-= Matthew Heidenreich´s last blog ..Showcase of 50 Outstanding Abstract Vector Designs =-.

1 2
US