Web 2.0 Design Styles

The simplicity of web application functionality is mirrored in the design and style of Web 2.0 web pages. In the past it was the norm to try and cram as much information as possible onto web pages but today’s website designers are endeavouring to eradicate the unnecessary and are now presenting a clean and simple interface.

Below are Web 2.0 design styles being adopted by today’s website designers:

Centred Design –

This is not only for practical reasons but for compatibility as well with the various screen sizes and resolutions available today.

Rounded Edges –

The trend is now for rounded edges for not only corners, but fonts as well, as it reflects the informal attitude and casual tone of the Web today.

San Serif & Lower Case Fonts –

This is in line with the casual tone of the Web.

Large Fonts –

These are used to highlight key concepts to users or to convey a simple, clear message about the website’s main purpose.

Simple & Persistent Navigation –

The navigation is distinct and obvious and is persistent as it appears on each page throughout the website.

Bold Logos –

Web applications are bold and confident and so are company logos.

Strong Colours –

These emphasise important concepts as well as creating distinction between sections of a web page.

Complementary Colours –

Modern websites are now rich in colour. Many websites are now adopting complementary colours such as blues & oranges and purples & yellows.

Subtle 3D –

The subtle use of drop shadows, gradients and mirrored surfaces add a realistic edge to the interface.

Reflective Surfaces –

Reflected or mirrored surfaces are now a trend on many new websites.

Simple Icons -

Simple icons are now used to represent actions as opposed to stock photos.

Whitespace –

To achieve simple and ‘zen-like’ websites, increased line heights and lots of whitespace is used. This produces clean and fresh pages.

Starbursts –

Exploding shapes are a new trend on today’s websites. They are often used to promote or highlight.