These were some of the predictions for Web Design trends in 2010

Have they come true, what do you see so far?

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.