words Al Woods
2021 will most likely become the year of major changes and drastic breakthroughs in the field of web design. We can already witness exciting color palette solutions and original uses of gradients and duotones, and from this post, you’ll discover the main trends in the color schemes for websites in 2021 that are not to be missed. Keep reading if you want your designs to be fresh and up to date.
Top 5 Color Trends to Follow in Web Design
So what are the hottest color trends 2021 that every web designer should follow?
Dark Mode
Dark themes are the latest trend in app design. After Apple had finally released dark mode for iPhones and macOS, it was only a matter of time before it appeared everywhere. Top web design agencies also decided to implement this mode for their solutions. Once they were rare, now dark themes are everywhere.
When done well, the dark mode has many advantages. It reduces eye strain, making the nightly online experience much more pleasurable. They are easier to read in low light, like while on the subway or a bus. And they can significantly reduce battery consumption.
Gradients
Gradients and color filters have been around for a couple of years now and still haven’t lost their popularity among designers. First, color filters started becoming popular because of the Instagram-oriented public mentality, but now they are used to create additional textures and add more depth to basic colors.
As for the successful examples, check out Grammarly’s social networks. They use gradients instead of flat colors for their graphics.
Another popular color solution that has to be mentioned here is the duotones. Simply put, duotones are images that replace white and black in a photograph with two colors. For example, graphic designers can use blue for the dark parts and pink for the lighter ones, or even green and yellow or dark red and beige. Duotones let you experiment with creating esthetically pleasing solutions that look classy and fresh at the same time.
Monochrome and Black and White
Monochrome combinations are the absolute trend this season. In 2021, we were observing more and more use cases of monochrome color schemes being used by graphic and web designers. Monochrome can be applied to photographs and graphic elements of a composition. An image created in one color or in a combination of similar shades always looks advantageous and adds class, serving as a kind of background to allow you to boldly experiment with “accessories”.
At the same time, the combination of classic colors, such as black and white, remains relevant in the UX/UI design of websites. That is why black and white dresses always remain in fashion. And a few black accents can sometimes become that “red thread” that will unite and freshen up the whole design, making it sparkle and stand out from your competitors.
Semi-Transparent Buttons
Web design in 2021 is very into minimalism. It can be seen not only based on color schemes, like large while spaces that add to design air, but also on classic color combinations like black/white, red/white, and white/gray. Minimalism can also be demonstrated by using semi-transparent buttons. They look less aggressive than traditional opaque ones but perfectly fulfill their function. In 2021, they will look very original and not overload the site. They also make it easier to build a color scheme of a website because you can easily go with neutral colors that are simple to combine with everything else.
Individual Color Schemes
This trend lies in the color scheme itself and in how it is used as the main design element. We are talking about color schemes with a personality that is consistently applied throughout the entire experience of using the product.
In general, we see patterns with two or three primary colors and various complementary colors. Rich and pastel colors combine to create vivid contrasting effects. There are many examples of simple, vibrant colors for a background combined with photography, typography, and illustration.
Final Thoughts
Trends for 2021 are not laws but friendly indications that will allow your designs to be current and fresh. It depends on the industry and clients that you are working with whether you should implement these trends or not, but at least knowing about them shows your professionalism as a designer.
Additional resource: Learn about SaaS Website Design
