2023 Trends in Web Design
A new year is an opportunity to bring a new creative vision to your web design. With aesthetic influences like 90s Nostalgia and Metaverse on the horizon, 2023’s design trends are both reminiscent of the past while looking toward the future, drawing inspiration from fashion, media, and popular culture. As we approach 2023, the following trends are knocking on the tech industry’s door and beckoning for a spot in web design:
Y2K
A nod to the early days of the internet boom, 2023’s Y2K aesthetic is a fresh approach to the nostalgic optimism and energy of the early 2000s. Picture low-fi design, metallics, pastel color palettes, and dynamic iconography but with the added power of modern technology.
In web design, you can expect to see a reflection of these elements with the return of color gradients, vintage UI and low-fi design, and background textures and images. Layered elements are also back on the scene and can be implemented using Squarespace’s new drag-and-drop editor, Fluid Engine. Websites inspired by the Y2K influence include decorative elements such as bold lettering and dynamic features in the form of GIFs and scrolling text.
Brutalism
If you’ve ever taken a course in architecture, you may be familiar with the concept of Brutalism, an architectural style characterized by minimalist buildings with bare structural elements. This same aesthetic is making its way into design, shifting the focus to functionality over frivolity and offering a simple alternative to the idea of “more is more.”
Brutalism takes an “anti-design” approach with black and white color palettes, size duality (i.e. big and small elements), and text-heavy pages. In addition to minimal design elements, overlapping images and buttons are used to add depth and dimension.
90s Nostalgia
Just when we thought the days of low-rise jeans and ramen-noodle hair were long over, the style of the 90s has been featured on the forefront of fashion and design all year. In fact, a quick scroll through your social media feed will deliver a flood of grainy film photography and other throwbacks to the pre-web era. So, it should come as no surprise that the 90s Nostalgia aesthetic has made its way into web design as well.
Just as its name suggests, the 90s Nostalgia trend is all about embracing the fun parts of the past – think stretched geometric shapes, primary colors, and cartoon styles with playful animations. Like with the Y2K and Brutalism aesthetics, layering also appears in 90s Nostalgia with type on type elements that are reminiscent of the era’s music album covers, posts, and television show title cards.
Rave
Inspired by the bright lights, dark backgrounds, and electric pulse of the club scene, the Rave aesthetic dives head first into boldness. The trend is harnessed by the retro visuals of flyer designs, electric colors, glitchy elements, and liquified effects.
When it comes to web design, Rave takes a forward-thinking approach that is anything but understated. The aesthetic is funky but intentional, and applied through experimental and bold fonts, distorted and psychedelic imagery, and a neon color palette.
Metaverse
Based on the visual elements of the ever-present arena of virtual reality, the Metaverse aesthetic brings story-based and realistic experiences to design through multidimensional components, mixed media, and chrome textures.
The Metaverse aesthetic is grounded in immersive experiences and 3D shapes and lettering, such as liquid metals and techy fonts. Moving graphics are highly choreographed and interactive, offering a futuristic and technology-focused point of view to online spaces.
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