Core

The web is constantly evolving, and the impact a website has can make all the difference to a discerning customer. After all, your website is the most significant place to share your brand’s story with an audience. With a large portion of 2014 already behind us, it’s worthwhile to take a look at some Web design trends we think will continue well into 2015.

• FLAT USER INTERFACE
  Following the release of Apple’s iOS7, flat design has started to appear across the web. As a result, companies continue to strip their sites of graphics and over-zealous design elements that are not 100 percent purposeful to functionality. As flat UI continues to grow, look for this trend to become stronger.
• RESPONSIVE DESIGN & MOBILE OPTIMIZATION
  The growth of smartphone and tablet usage has mobile devices on track to overtake desktop platforms for web consumption in the coming years. Responsive design and mobile optimized sites have become the norm across the majority of the Web.
• MINIMALISM
  Simple Web design has been emerging, as more emphasis is put on content. We are increasingly seeing designs with only one or two colors, while navigation is becoming more succinct and images replace blocks of text. Content is king, and designers are finding every way possible to highlight a company’s story.
• TYPOGRAPHY
  Web fonts have opened up new creativity in Web typography. Now typefaces and sizes can be mixed, matched and magnified at will. The only danger is the tendency to go overboard with “artistic” fonts. Reserve these fonts for headers and small highlights. Expect to see many more websites embracing less boring fonts in 2015.

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	Arketi Insights: Bulletproof Your Marketing Budget				5 Must-Haves for a Buyer-Centric B2B Website
	Sometimes it may seem that setting the marketing budget is a game of “chicken.” But with the right approach, budgeting can be a strategic tool for driving business. For more on bulletproofing your marketing budget, download the Arketi Insights paper.				To ensure your company’s website is making an impact with visitors, there are five must-haves to consider. In this video, Arketi creative director Jim Densmore walks you through everything you need to know.

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• SCROLLING
  Scrolling is faster and easier than clicking a link and waiting for a new page to load, and this is even more true on mobile devices. At the same time, new coding concepts have made it easier to implement all kinds of scrolling techniques, from horizontal scrolling and column-based scrolling to infinite scrolling (where a page can seem to go on forever) and parallax scrolling (where page elements scroll at different speeds, appearing to move over each other). We predict we will see even more scrolling variety in the year to come.
• SHINY NEW BACKGROUNDS
  More brands are starting to use dynamic backgrounds to engage customers and add depth and visual interest. Look for larger images and videos – rather than Wed design patterns or textures – as the practice becomes increasingly popular.
• FIXED NAVIGATION
  Fixed position navigation is high-tech speak for a menu bar that remains on the page as users scroll down. This trend is common on newer websites and will become more widespread in the coming year. While not all sites need a fixed position menu, infinite scrolling and user experience have some arguing it’s a must.

Thanks for reading this issue of Core. Please send your comments, compliments or criticisms to  core@arketi.com, and if you liked 7 Web Design Trends That Will Stick Around, please share it!

And of course, if you have questions, or need help with any marketing or website development needs, call us at 404.929.0091 x202.