it's time to talk about these 2024 web design trends

2024 is around the corner. Trends are increasing faster than the number of plate restaurants in your favorite neighborhood. And those changes seem to be accelerating, especially now that everyone can be a nice digital Picasso. At least in a way.

That's why it's important for us as a studio to understand the world around us and see which trends are prevailing. From functional form to the impact of AI: Corné explores what 2024 has to offer for web design.‍

even more fFunction over form

In 2024, there will be even more emphasis on designing websites where functionality comes first. This means that the design should not only be aesthetic, but above all user-friendly with good performance.

A timeless aspect is understanding the psychology behind decision making and designing with the user in mind. However, external changes play a major role, including digital accessibility and Google's ranking methods.

digital accessibility

The importance of digital accessibility is increasing. With the introduction of European Accessibility Act by June 2025, all websites created after the implementation date must meet certain accessibility requirements in accordance with the WCAG 2.1. Previously, this was only relevant for government websites, but soon for everyone.

This means that web design must take into account users with different disabilities, leading to designs that are inclusive and accessible. Examples include clear fonts, contrasts, a good structure and the ability to operate the website without a mouse or trackpad. Websites created before June 2025 have until June 2030 to comply with the guidelines.

However, it is important to make a plan to make these improvements, because it will be quite a bit of work if you change everything later and multiple parties are often involved. For example, there is no point in creating a website that complies with the guidelines and developing content that does not.

new google ranking methods

Google will introduce INP in March 2024 (Interaction to Next Paint) as a new ranking factor. Although it seems at first glance that ranking methods are something for SEO specialists, web design plays a crucial role. INP measures how quickly a user sees a visual response after an interaction, such as clicking a button.

So Google will attach even more value to the user-friendliness and speed of your website. This means that websites that respond quickly to user interactions, such as clicking a button, will rank higher in search results.

A well-thought-out web design that takes into account fast loading times and conversion can therefore have a significant influence on the INP score. As a UX and UI designer, you have the opportunity to improve the findability of a website through smart design choices. The importance of a nice collaboration between design and SEO to optimize the overall performance of a website in search engines is therefore increasing.

bento grid layouts

The Bento Grid layout, known from Apple or Windows 8, among others, will continue to be found in the coming year. The layout is playful, fresh and offers an easy way to structure content. Inspired by the iconic Japanese bento lunch box, the grid is divided into compartments, each with a different piece of content.

Each compartment serves as a dedicated space to display a specific function, making it easy for users to navigate and process information. They provide a clear visual hierarchy and improve the user experience by organizing content into organized sections. This makes navigating and processing information a little easier. In addition, it stimulates engagement through the interactive display, which can lead to a longer time on page.

However, we think that there are important nuances in such a grid: minimizing content can cause relevant information to be lost or everything will scream for attention. So deal with it carefully.

the impact of ai on ux

For the creative sector, you can't have missed it: AI. Currently used 83% of AI creatives at work. This has a serious impact on how we work, but tools like Figma will also change drastically. Once your design libraries are connected to code and developed AI interfaces, a designer's responsibility shifts.

While learning AI prompting and using AI tools is useful in the short term, critical thinking in design thinking, deliberate decisions, and expression of the work you create still prevail over robots (thankfully).

microinteractions

Microinteractions are subtle interactive elements that enhance the user experience. They play an important role in brand identity and contribute to user satisfaction and usability on websites. Low-code tools like Webflow are constantly innovating to offer these tools without writing long lines of code.

With the increasing demand for those interactions, Lottie launched a plugin for Figma that converts Figma animations into an exportable JSON file. That eliminates the big learning curve of After Effects and similar software. This allows you, as a designer, to animate more yourself.

You'll also notice that microinteractions can be found on many landing pages these days. This is all thanks to the increasing need for distinctive experiences for website visitors and an increased demand for storytelling as a means of selling products or services.

mobile-first... or mobile-second anyway?

The discussion about mobile-first vs. mobile-second is an important topic in the web design trends for 2024. Many designs are first created for mobile devices and then optimized for desktop. While mobile-first was the standard approach for a long time, we are now seeing a shift.

So the trend is moving to desktop-first and then thinking mobile. This is where it is scaled down instead of scaling up. This acknowledges that a mobile design often contains less information and detail than a desktop design because it focuses more on essential elements. Too many design elements on mobile devices are distracting and reduce the user experience. That's why you want to focus on necessary content and functionalities.

However, this trend will not always lead. This is because the application of desktop or mobile-first depends on factors such as the context, use case or target group. After all, when you develop a website for festivals, you don't want to design from desktop, but before people are at the festival (with a mobile).