| By :
Mark Etinger
If you're looking for the most innovative, compelling designs on the market, web design is where it's at. Backed by a young workforce of inspired artists, the website design industry is going strong, with new trends emerging everyday. Read on for the four popular trends no web designer can be without. 1. Typography In the world of web design, typography is a touchy subject. Just like magazines, newspapers, billboards and posters, websites can benefit from expressive, attention-grabbing fonts. That being said, most consumers only have a set number of basic fonts on their computers, greatly restricting a web designer's options. To address this problem, some designers move all of their typographic elements to images, ensuring a uniform display. This solves the visual issue, but means that the text is no longer crawl-able by search engines, thus reducing the potential for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Fortunately, some new programs like Typekit and FontBurner host fonts externally, making it possible to create an accessible design with a non-standard font. 2. Modal Boxes You might not be familiar with this term, but you've definitely seen modal boxes in action. Modal boxes are like rebooted versions of the pop-up ads of yore -- they look cleaner, and can appear on the screen without forcing open a new window or tab. Lacking the stigma of their pop-up ancestors, modal boxes are often utilized for short login or registration forms, or to display special offers. 3. Sketchy/Retro Design Schemes Web designers love to mix it up, and incorporating hand-drawn or retro graphics -- two styles inherently at odds with the modern, digital world -- is a great way to do just that. These styles can also be used on personal and small business websites to promote a certain image or brand. A local bakery, for example, could benefit from an old-timey, retro feel. Website design consultants can incorporate a sketchy or retro design scheme through a variety of methods, from background textures to strategic font choices to personalized graphics. The results are sometimes over the top, but they're never forgettable. 4. Giant Headers and Footers One thing about the website design: you have a lot space to work with. Devoting several hundred pixels to a oversized header and/or footer will not cost you any extra space, as it would on a billboard, magazine, etc. Using a large header will push your primary content down, but it can also keep your visitors interested, imploring them to scroll down and see more. Footers, on the other hand, are now popular spots for links to deemphasized site pages, in addition to other widgets such as Twitter feeds. In WordPress website design, many templates include comprehensive footer areas with up two four different spaces for widgets. With all these great trends in website design, only one question remains: What will come next?
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