Inventive Interaction

Check out any of these sample sites, and you’ll be drawn in right away by the interactive relationship between you (the user) and the site. I think we’ll see more of this as web design becomes more sophisticated and as old browsers (IE6) die out. As time goes on, web design won’t just be about making the page look pretty and a user-friendly navigation. It will also be about engaging the user by creating a relationship between the user and the site.

80s Inspired

The 80s are back, in a serious way. Movies have been feeding us 80s flashbacks for years, and now it’s finally hit full-force in the fashion industry. You hear 80s inspiration in new music, and see the makeup, jewelry, and hairstyles returning as well. Why wouldn’t design be part of this revival? Look for diagonal lines, simple shapes and patterns, and bold color statements in 2010. Whether the overall look is punk or yuppie, it won’t matter — as long as it’s totally 80s.

Video

Video is going to be huge in 2010. You’ll see it used as an effect (like in the samples below), and also as part of the site content. Videos will be integrated to illustrate a point, demonstrate an action, or explain a complex idea. Especially creative designers will use video to engage and interact with the user. Having no video experience myself, I’m especially interested to see how this trend develops.

More Interesting Typography

It’s a beautiful thing. Little by little, web designers are giving exceeding time and attention to typography within their designs. And as coding languages evolve, designers will have even more opportunities to be creative with their type. Not only do I think creative typography will be a huge trend in 2010, I also think that text-only sites will be in vogue this year.

Full-Screen Images

As far as images are concerned in 2010, the bigger, the better. Images are stretching all the way across my 24″ monitor, creating a lovely work-around for varying screen resolutions, and packing a big attention-grabbing punch. I’m expecting to see a LOT of this trend in the coming months.

3D Elements & 3D Text Effects

3D effects will blow up in 2010. Expect to see plenty of 3D type effects, and also 3D elements within the web page. Three dimensional shapes, wrapping elements, and tilted edges will give users the feeling of space and depth. Flat is out — stacking, layering, and popped or pushed elements are in.

Organic Layouts

I predict that 2010 will be the year to break out of the grid and create more organic web layouts. I think we’ll see some literal “outside the box” thinking as web design starts to take on some of the characteristics of print. There will be a long trial-and-error period, with some designers finding success, and others moving back toward the traditional grid-based design, but there will be an obvious growth toward a freer, more organic page.

Minimalist

Another trend that I expect to take off in 2010 is minimalist design. These designers will choose to focus on the content by giving it space to breath, rather than dressing it up with color and graphics. Although they appear simple at first, minimalist site design is actually quite sophisticated — a delicate balancing act between content and white space.

Other Random Predictions:

• Headlines will grow even larger in 2010 than the super-sized headlines we saw in 2009
• With websites becoming more commonplace for every field, every industry, every company, people will begin to be more casual about their sites. Expect to see more humor and personality injected into sites as time passes.
• With the extreme success of Twitter, we’ll be seeing more and more experimental projects. And, with the ongoing battle between Google and Apple, we’ll be seeing more application development. Now is the time for you upcoming developers — jump in there and create something amazing!
• jQuery, CSS3, HTML5 will continue to grow in 2010 (yes — that was too easy). I wish I could also predict the death of IE6, but with many of my clients in large corporations, I fear it will live on well into 2010.
• Illustration and scrolling sites will continue to be popular in 2010, as will one-page sites. Expect everyone to have a one-page social networking site with links to Twitter pages, Facebook profiles, etc.
• And, I’m going to end on some long-shot predictions. I’m seeing tattoo and graffiti inspired designs in 2010, as well as fish and hummingbirds stepping in for butterflies and flowers (which are definitely out for 2010)

So what do you think? What are your predictions for design in 2010?

I’m going to go a different way. I’m going to respond to some of the most common (and weakest) complaints. And, yes, I do know the risks. I’ll be called a “Fanboy,” and an “Apple lover” and will be seen as a person who is defending a product just because it comes from Apple. Fine. Whatever. That’s a chance I’ll have to take. I don’t purchase things because they have an Apple logo on them. I purchase things that work for me and my business. I have an Apple computer, and a Logitech mouse. I have a strong dislike for the Magic Mouse, and you’ll never see me using one. I use what works. End of story. So, let’s see what people are saying about the iPad:

1. No OSX

The iPad was not created to be a laptop without a keyboard. What would be the point of that? As if the folding screen is such a huge burden? This little machine is meant for entertainment and light work. If you have serious work to do, get a laptop. Or, any number of PC tablets available with a complete operating system in place. But, don’t be surprised if the touch screen is frustrating on your tablet PC. The OS wasn’t created for touch, so it’s not going to be user-friendly. Everything available for the iPad was created specifically with touch in mind, so I’m expecting a much more pleasing experience. Perhaps someday when Apple has time to reinvent OSX for touch, you’ll see an iPad with a full OS.

2. The Name Sucks

Oh please. Have you never used a PAD of paper? Have you not ever jotted something down on a notePAD? Do you giggle and think of feminine products every time you use a legal PAD during a meeting? I think we can let this go.

3. No Flash

I’ll give this one to the naysayers. Surfing the web without Flash is not going to be fun. On one hand, I’ll like skipping all of the annoying banner ads. On the other hand, I’m not sure what I’ll do without Hulu.

4. No Web Cam

Everyone is devastated that they won’t be able to use their iPads for Skyping on the go. I can see their point, but I’m going to be selfish here. You know all of those annoying people on the trains having very loud conversations on their cell phones during your commute? Just imagine them all Skyping on the train. The horror!! Plus, who wants to Skype or video-conference with someone holding their own camera? I don’t want to get nauseous watching you bounce around my screen. Use your laptop webcam instead.

5. No Stylus

I’m not sure what a stylus would be useful for other than drawing. When is the last time you even used a device with a stylus? They seem to have faded away — assumingly because people prefer to work without one. And, on a device where all available applications were designed for multi-touch, I’m guessing a stylus will hardly be necessary.

6. No Phone

This one always makes me laugh. Really? You want to have phone conversations on a device that is over 9.5 inches tall?

7. No Camera

Again, I can’t really see myself pulling out this large tablet to take a photo. I’m assuming that later versions will include a camera, but I still can’t imagine it will be as useful as people think. If my dog is doing something adorable, I’m going to whip out my iPad to take a photo? I have a camera on my phone, and being a designer, I carry a small cheap-o digital camera with me everywhere I go. Taking a photo on an iPad wouldn’t be too different than turning my laptop webcam around to snap a photo of my dog. Just doesn’t seem natural.

8. Reader Doesn’t Use e-Ink

Someday, I’m sure we’ll have devices that allow us to switch between a backlit screen and an e-ink screen. I’m a little surprised that it was expected this soon in the iPad though. I’m not going to get into a big e-ink vs. backlit argument, I’m just going to say that at this point in time, no device (that I know of) is pulling off an e-ink/backlit switch option. If you’re really that attached to e-ink, get a Kindle. The iPad is more than just an e-reader, so it needs to have a backlit, color screen.

9. No Handwriting Recognition

I know I’m not the only person out there who can type faster than they can write. Do you really want to write out emails and notes instead of type them?

10. No Multi-Tasking

iPad (and iPhone) apps are created so that when you close them, they reopen in the same place you left off. What is the big advantage to having multiple apps open at once? As long as you pick up in the same place, is that not good enough? I, for one, will take a longer battery life over multi-tasking any day.

There are a few things that I’m nervous about myself: no expandable memory, availability of the ebooks I want (design and web design training books please!), and AT&T’s service. Some of the iPad complaints have been valid, but you have to admit, some are simply ridiculous. And, when it comes down to it, I just don’t think it’s right to jump all over a product before you’ve even tried it.

What do you think? Will you be preordering an iPad?

The AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries is published every year and includes responses from more than 9,000 design professionals. In it, you’ll find everything from compensation to benefits for all different design professions — even freelancers. There are also some very nice descriptions to break down the different facets of design, and lots of helpful career advice as well.

Download a copy of the 2009 Survey

Use AIGA’s Interactive Salary Calculator to find out how much money you should be (or could be) making

Visit the AIGA Website for invaluable design resources and advice

Myth #9: Graphic Designers Fix Computers

I’m not sure what it is, but there is a mass confusion about the limitless knowledge of graphic designers. Apparently because I work on a computer all day, I also know how to take one apart and build it from scratch. I know how to set up networks, load memory, rid computers of viruses, and use any and all programs — no matter if they are design-related or not.

Graphic designers are DESIGNERS. We are not IT specialists. We are not members of the Geek Squad. And we are not software developers or sales associates at your local computer store. Please stop calling us for help with your computers.

Myth #10: Designers Prefer Trades to Cash

I don’t know why, but it seems that the Barter System is alive and well in the world of graphic design. What is it about the services we provide as designers that so few people think we deserve to be paid in cash? Everyone wants to make a trade! If you design my website, I’ll make you a pie. If you create posters for our event, we’ll give you a free ticket to attend.

Designers don’t do what we do for fun. This is our job! We design websites and posters so that we can buy food and electricity. We take cash, and checks, and credit cards, and paypal payments. Not pies. Would you pay your hairstylist, doctor, or mechanic in pies? No? Then, please give designers the same respect and hire them only when you have the budget to pay with real money.

Myth #11: Designers Love to Haggle

Let’s get one more money myth out of the way. It has become a popular belief that purchasing a website is like purchasing a car. Potential clients ask, how much is this going to cost? We ask them questions, get an idea of what they want, put together an estimate, and send it over. And what comes back? Not a simple “Let’s do it” or “Sorry, that’s out of my price range,” but a counter-offer! What?!?!

This myth has become so out of hand, that I’m about ready to change my system. Instead of telling a potential client how much it will cost to do what they want, I need to start asking them what their budget is — and then telling them what they can get for that price. That may give me a break from this myth — and save me and my potential clients a lot of time.

Myth #12: There is a quick-fix Filter or Plugin for almost every Situation

Surprisingly, this is one myth that I hear from both designers and non-designers. I’ve had both students and professionals ask me how to achieve a certain look or build a specific functionality, and as I’m describing the steps they interrupt with, “Isn’t there an easier way?” Isn’t there a magic button I can push to give my website the grunge look? Isn’t there a special setting that will turn my psd into a working website with no work on my part?

Non-designers are equally guilty of this myth. I get a lot of, “Why is that taking so long?” and “This should be a quick change (or a quick project),” because obviously if I have Photoshop, I have a magic genie to finish every job in a flash.

Design takes time. And a lot of hard work, concentration, and attention to detail. Yes, there are some filters to give you a basic look. But, if you want to push any treatment to a professional level, there will be serious work involved. And, yes, there are some plugins that are a major benefit in web design — but they still usually have to be customized for the project at hand. The truth is, if you see something, and are impressed by it, somebody put a lot of time and work into it. No magic involved.

Myth #13: Drawing with a Mouse is Easier than Drawing with a Pencil

You may be surprised by this one. It sounds like a myth, right? But I hear it all of the time from students: “I don’t know how to draw. But it’s okay, I’m going to work on a computer.” What makes people think that it’s easier to draw with a mouse? Chances are, if you can’t draw with a pencil, your skills aren’t going to improve when you start drawing with a mouse. Please, all of you aspiring designers, get a pencil and a sketchbook you love, and practice drawing. Those skills are going to help you tremendously when you have to switch over to creating art with a mouse.

Myth #14: Designers don’t need General Education Classes

There are so many students in design school loving their design courses, and barely scraping by in their math, English, and history classes — rolling their eyes, sketching during lectures, and ignoring their instructors. Why? Because somewhere along the line, the unfortunate and untrue news has spread that general education courses are unnecessary for designers. Not only are they necessary, they could make or break your career.

How is it that students expect to successfully create an 8-panel roll-fold brochure, or a complex tradeshow booth without math? And, if you ever expect to own your own business, those math skills are going to come in handy when you have to do your own estimates, billing and taxes.

Writing and grammar skills may be the most underrated of the general education classes. I can’t imagine that any designer will manage to get through his or her career without doing at least a little copywriting, and without doing a whole lot of proofing. And, how will you ever make a convincing sales pitch or present a concept to a client without the skills you’ll acquire in speech class?

Even the classes that seem completely out of the realm of design — science, history, and social study classes — will be vital to your career. As a designer, you have to be a chameleon — creating a website for the finance industry one day, and working on a brochure for the construction industry the next. EVERY one of those classes is going to be helpful to you in your career. Please don’t take them for granted.

Myth #15: Designers are Mind Readers

Occasionally people have a hard time communicating their thoughts. And, that’s okay. But, it does make the job of the designer very difficult. Sometimes impossible. “I want a logo, but I don’t know what I want. I’ll know it when I see it.” So, you want me to just keep creating logos until you find one you like? How many years do you expect this to take?

Designers aren’t mind readers. We don’t know you hate the color yellow or that clouds give you nightmares. I believe it is our job, as designers, to ask as many questions as we can. But it is hard to cover everything, and sometimes you (the client) aren’t very good at describing what you want. THIS is why most designers will do more than one composition design. I personally do two out of the box, and then use the feedback from those to work on a third that will hopefully be a home run. All we ask as designers, though, is that you be a little patient if we don’t create a perfect layout or logo on the first try — we aren’t mind readers. We just try to be.

Myth #16: Design is so Easy that Anyone can Learn it in a One-Hour Session & We Would LOVE to Teach You!

This myth is the one that bothers me the most. I went to college for four years (and have quite a bit of debt to show for it), and worked two —sometimes three — jobs at a time while I was starting out as a designer. I read every design book and design blog I could get my hands on (and I still do). I’ve been working and teaching in the design industry for over twelve years. Twelve! And, I get this all of the time: “I don’t want to pay you to do it. Couldn’t you just show me how to do it?”

No. I can’t, and I won’t. Go to school, get good grades, purchase and read every book you can get your hands on, complete every tutorial you come across, purchase the programs and equipment, write the lesson plans and teach the classes, climb the ladder, and spend all of your spare time studying, sketching, and learning. After all of that, you should be able to handle design on your own. Then give me a call. I’ll set you up with my other clients to that you can teach them all you’ve learned in a one-hour session.

So, there you have it! 8 more design myths. Curious about the first 8? Check them out in: 8 Common Graphic Design Myths Revealed.

What is a trend? I’m not going to quote the dictionary. I’m going to just tell you my interpretation. Once a design style starts to seep into usages beyond it’s original purpose, it has become a trend. For example, a wood background on a camping website makes sense. When the local bank is using a wood background on their website, it has become a trend. An illustrated mascot on an illustrator’s site makes sense. Now that everybody with a face has an illustrated version of themselves on their website, it is a trend.

So, what were the biggest trends of 2009? Here are my top 10 (in no particular order):

1. Grunge

I think this one is fairly obvious. Dirty textures, torn photos, and worn type ruled the web in 2009. I think we all took to the texture and interest of this trend because it was so far from the squeaky clean glossy buttons we had been looking at for years prior.

What’s next for Grunge? As much as I love a well-done grunge-inspired website, I have a feeling it’s time is almost up. I’m sure that there will be plenty of latecomers taking on the grunge look for themselves, but most innovative designers have moved onto something else. When something hits as hard as this trend, it spreads fast, and disappears almost as quickly.

2. Collage/Texture

Collage was EVERYWHERE in 2009! Some sites have been extremely creative in their use of collage (I think that WebDesigner Wall was a big inspiration to many designers), but others of us have fallen into the collage pit-of-shame. If your website or twitter background includes a photo (most likely Polaroid), paper-clip or thumbtack, and coffee stain (with no other creative elements), please try again. I know it was awesome the first time you saw it — but now it’s the official twitter background of the “Social Media Expert,” and its creative time has passed.

What’s next for Collage/Texture? I don’t think collage is going anywhere. I think we’ll still see a lot of it, but I have faith that we’re going to progress past the Polaroids and continue to find innovative ways to build on this trend.

3. Big Headlines

Oh, yes, I’m on board with the big headline trend — as you can see by the large headlines on Creative Opera. Again, I feel this trend is in response to the tiny fonts that have been in vogue in the past. Remember those flash sites with the teeny-tiny text? Well, no longer! “The bigger, the better” seemed to be the theme of 2009.

What’s next for Big Headlines? I don’t see big headlines going anywhere. I think they will continue to be a strong trend in 2010. In fact, toward the end of 2009, headlines seem to be growing — not shrinking — so say it large!

4. Introductions

Hello! My name is Manda and I make websites. Apparently I am not alone. There are people all over the internet introducing themselves. I’d like to blame the talented Jason Reed for this. His website was so well marketed and so well designed, that designers all over started introducing themselves on their homepages. This trend is so strong, that even portfolio templates are including the hello line.

What’s next for Introductions? I think we’re going to continue to see introductions. Let’s face it, it’s a great idea to tell your audience upfront what you and your site are all about. But, I do think we’re going to break away from the standard “Hello, my name is blank and I blank,” and start to see some more creative interactions (as demonstrated on the Kidd81 site below).

5. Nature/Wood

I’m a nature girl. I grew up on a farm, and still prefer to walk through the grass in my bare feet. In 2009, I didn’t have to look far to find nature. There were trees and grass and blue skies everywhere online. It doesn’t matter if the company manufactures sock puppets or sells office furniture — a wood background and grassy hills work for everyone. So it seems anyway.

What’s next for nature-inspired web design? I think there will be plenty of nature in design in 2010, but I think that the wood trend will die down a bit. It is a wonderful answer for some sites (check out the Outlaw Design Blog), but it just doesn’t have the same pop on a banking site.

6. One-page Scrolling Sites

One-page sites exploded online in 2009. Moving horizontally or vertically, scrolling sites gave an added element of animation to website navigation. Check out some of my favorite scrolling one-page sites here.

What’s next for one-page websites? I think that this trend is going to continue to grow in 2010 – with more and more people taking advantage of the ease and simplicity of a one-page website. I believe we will even begin to see more non-scrolling one-page sites. With everyone building profiles across the social network, why waste time with web pages when you can just provide links to your Facebook, Twitter, and FlickR pages?

7. Exaggerated Grids

Grids were hot in 2010. Balance and symmetry were everywhere – exaggerated by perfectly aligned elements in table-like form. And why not? It’s a great way to visually organize large amounts of content.

What’s next for exaggerated grid layouts? I think we’ll continue to see grid layouts in websites that must provide a lot of content in a small area (CSS showcase sites, for example) however, I think that the trend for most new sites in 2010 will be toward more organic – less structured layouts.

8. Content Sliders

This may be the most overused and abused trend of 2009. It’s hard to even find a site that isn’t using this technique on their homepage. I totally get it — it’s an attractive, attention-grabbing way to showcase lots of information and images in a small space. But, I’m already bored with it and can’t wait to see how this trend evolves.

What’s next for content sliders? I don’t think we’ll see this trend die out in 2010. I am crossing my fingers, though, that we’ll see some real variation this year in both the design and functionality of these sliders. Already, there has been a lot of improvement. I’m afraid, though, that we’ll probably still be seeing the basic numbered 4-screen slider on corporate sites for many years to come.

9. Illustration and Paint

In another fabulously successful backlash against Web 2.0 design, illustrated and painted web elements were all the rage in 2009. Maybe it’s because I started my design training in print – and still love the look of raw pencil on paper – but I love these colorful, sketchy, arty sites. Check out some of my favorite illustration websites from 2009.

What’s next for Illustration and Paint? I think we’ll continue to see this trend in 2010 – although because sites like these can be so time-consuming and costly to create (so much original artwork!), we may see less of this in corporate sites, and continue to see it mainly in our own design circles.

10. The Official Layout of 2009

It seems to me that if you created wireframe drawings of all of the websites created in 2009, a gigantic percentage of them would use what I am calling “The Official Layout of 2009” A large rectangular graphic at the top of the page (often a content slider!), with three or four sub-categories beneath. This layout has been tweaked here and there, but the concept is still the same. This is one category where I didn’t have to search long for examples. The hardest part was deciding which of the hundreds I found to include. I tried to include interesting designs — despite the common structure.

What’s next for the official layout? This trend has already started trickling down. The template designers have used it. The copy-cats have copied it. People have created their first websites using it. I hope it’s almost over – we need an official layout of 2010!

SO WHAT’S COMING IN 2010? WHAT TRENDS AM I PREDICTING FOR THIS YEAR?

Find out in part 2:
Web Design Trends: Predictions for 2010

I’d love to hear from you! What do you think was the biggest trend of 2009? Is is going to stick in 2010?