In the constantly changing world of web design, staying current with the latest trends is basically a no brainer for anyone who wants to stay at the top of this ever changing field. As one of Canada’s leading tech hubs, many talented WordPress web designers in Toronto who are setting new standards and exploring new ideas in the world of web design. In this article, we’ll explore the latest trends in WordPress web design, featuring a few insights from some of Toronto’s experts in the field.
1. Minimalist Design
Minimalism is still a very strong trend in web design. Toronto-based WordPress designers emphasize the importance of clean, simple layouts. Many of these layouts are created in Sigma or other design interface tools. This is definitely a recommended first step, as the first layout they come up with may not be to your liking. So designs will be iterated upon until you select one that you like. But this idea of clean, minimalist design is always recommended as it provides an intuitive user experience, and tells your website visitors that this is a modern website that takes current design trends into account.
Rachel Lee, a prominent WordPress designer in Toronto, explains: “Minimalist design is about stripping away the unnecessary. It’s about clarity and precision. In 2024, we’re seeing even more emphasis on white space and simple color schemes to direct users’ attention to what really matters.”
2. Mobile-First Design
If you haven’t heard of this one, you might have been living under a rock. With the increasing use of smartphones, designing for mobile visitors has become more important than ever. Mobile-first design means creating a website with mobile users in mind from the very beginning, ensuring that the site is responsive and functions seamlessly on smaller screens. It also means that you need to make sure the site loads quickly, since data connections on smartphones usually have less bandwidth than home Wi-Fi connections. Many smartphone users will close a site that is taking too long to load.
David Chen, a veteran WordPress developer, notes: “A significant portion of web traffic comes from mobile devices. In Toronto, we’re seeing a shift towards mobile-first strategies where designers start with the mobile version of the site and then scale up for larger screens. This ensures a smoother user experience across all devices.”
3. Dark Mode
Aesthetic and Functional Benefits
Dark mode is more than just a design trend; it’s a user preference that’s gaining traction. It reduces eye strain, conserves battery life on mobile devices, and can give websites a modern, sleek look. Why does it help save battery life? Because on most modern OLED screens, a pixel that is black does not receive any electrical current at all. It is simply off. Whereas a white pixel, needs to have full RGB color passing to it in order to create the color our eyes perceive as white. This is especially important for smartphones where battery life is a huge factor.
Emily Thompson, a creative director specializing in WordPress, shares: “Dark mode is becoming a standard option for many websites. It’s important to design with accessibility in mind, and providing users with the option to switch to dark mode can enhance their experience significantly.”
4. Interactive Elements and Motion
Interactive elements like animations, micro-interactions, and scroll effects are being used more often in order to capture user’s attention and add some ‘wow’ factor to an otherwise plain web page. It makes the site more dynamic and engaging. These elements also have a practical use, in tht they can guide users through the content in a sequential way.
With WordPress, there are several plugins that can achieve this effect. In fact, your theme may already have support for these included. If you are using the Pro version of Element or for example, it includes Lottie animation support right out of the box.
In Summary, Toronto WordPress designers are really at the forefront of their field in creating unique and beautiful designs, so you are putting your website in good hands!