Design trends come and go. The ones worth following make a website easier to understand, not just prettier. Here are five we use on the sites we build, and how to use each one without letting it take over.
1. Glassmorphism: depth without clutter
Frosted-glass panels, meaning semi-transparent layers with a soft blur behind them, give a page depth. A menu bar or a card can sit on top of a rich background and still stay readable. It feels modern and light.
How not to overdo it: use it on one or two layers, like the navigation bar or content cards, not everywhere. Check the text contrast on a real phone outdoors. Keep blurred areas small too, because heavy blur can slow down older phones.
2. Bold, expressive typography
Large, confident headlines do a lot of work. People scan before they read, and a clear headline tells them in a second where they are and what you offer. A characterful display font for headings, paired with a calm, readable font for text, gives a site personality without hurting readability.
How not to overdo it: stick to two font families at most. Keep body text at 16 pixels or more, with lines around 60–75 characters long. A beautiful font that nobody can read on a phone isn't a design choice. It's a barrier.
3. Motion that guides the eye
Subtle animation, like a section sliding in as you scroll, a button that reacts when you hover over it, or a small confirmation when a form is sent, draws attention to what matters and makes a site feel alive and responsive.
How not to overdo it: keep animations short and never make people wait for them before they can read. Respect the "reduce motion" setting that many people turn on in their phone or computer. We do on our own site. If everything moves, nothing stands out.
4. Dark themes and deep colour
Dark backgrounds with one bright accent colour feel premium and make images, products and calls to action pop. Our own site uses a deep night sky with glowing cyan for exactly that reason.
How not to overdo it: dark isn't right for every brand. A bakery or a children's shop may feel better bright and warm. If you go dark, use off-white text instead of pure white for long reading, and keep the contrast high enough for everyone.
5. Real content over stock photos
The strongest trend isn't visual at all: authenticity. Real photos of your team, your shop and your products, and real screenshots of your work, build trust in a way that stock photos can't. People recognise a stock photo instantly, and it quietly tells them "this could be anyone".
How not to overdo it: real doesn't mean careless. Good light, a steady hand and a consistent style go a long way, even with a phone camera.
How to choose what's right for you
Start from your customers, not from the trend. A law firm and a skate shop shouldn't look the same, even if both are "modern". Before adopting any trend, ask three questions:
- Does it make the site faster to understand?
- Does it still work on an inexpensive phone with a weak connection?
- Will it still look good in three years?
If the answer to all three is yes, go for it. A trend is a tool, not a goal. The goal is a website your customers enjoy using and remember.