Design Trends for 2011

Design is constantly evolving and, just like with fashion, trends come and go every year. Web Design Shock did an article on "The real design trends for 2011" and I would like to examine a few of these trends that are my current favorites. These techniques are ones that I have incorporated into my own work and that influence my personal design style. Less Clutter = Cleaner Design This is one of my favorite design trends. I have always been fond of design that is clean and leaves room to focus on what is important - key elements that need to be emphasized in order for the audience to focus on the message being conveyed. This minimalistic trend is straightforward and takes planning in order to choose what aesthetic elements need to be viewed in a design. Combining good typography (type that is not only readable but also works with the theme of the design) with eye-catching imagery is what makes this trend successful. Fun With Typefaces More designers are utilizing a wider range of typefaces, and big, bold fonts are perfect for grabbing attention. Mixing sans serif and serif fonts is something I have been playing with a lot lately. The right combination can bring a design to life and add character. On my personal fashion blog (www.getwhitit.com) I recently redesigned the title header to make it more eye-catching and have more presence. The previous header used a thinner font for all the letters, but I wanted the text to appear bolder. I combined two different weights in the title and I think the end result works well. I look forward to exploring this trend more in future designs for work and personal use. I have touched on just a couple of the design trends for 2011 and am excited to discuss others in future articles.