The Future of Web Design
What do you know about wearable gadgets? 83% of experts from the Pew Research Center Internet Project in Washington DC are sure that by 2025 the world will be filled with Internet accessories - analogues of smart watches and GoogleGlass. The unusual format of techno novelties in the future will undoubtedly affect web design, but the “sleigh” needs to be prepared now. What will change in the hitherto familiar appearance of sites?
New technologies
The time is coming when we will stop holding gadgets in our hands and will wear them on ourselves, or even vice versa - they will wear us, who knows :) We can say one thing with certainty - user interaction with web resources will change radically. Devices for working with the Internet, part-time part of the wardrobe or accessory, will require a fresh approach from developers and designers.
The most popular form factors in this technology segment:
- glasses;
- wrist accessories and brooches similar to Fitbit;
- smart watch.
Already, these devices are equipped with decent functionality: video and music playback, instant messaging, a camera and, of course, a browser. Yes, so far, glasses from Google are not affordable for mere mortals, but competition in the market will eventually make the price affordable for a wide range of users. Let us recall at least the history of changes in the cost of gadgets from Apple.
Increasing demand for wearables will create new platforms for online sales. Surely progressive online business owners will want their site to be adequately displayed on new devices, so developers and especially designers should hurry up now and meet technological progress fully armed.
The impact of wearable technology on web design
The goal will remain the same - to create beautiful, functional and easy-to-manage sites that can provide access to the information of interest to the user as quickly as possible. In fact, new technologies will change existing web design techniques.
- Responsive design . At one time, the emergence of smartphones with an abundance of display resolutions led to the creation of an adaptive layout that adjusts the site to any screen format. In the future, the so-called responsive design will not lose relevance and will become almost a prerequisite for website development.
- Speed. The rule of loading a site in less than 4 seconds for wearable gadgets will become an axiom. The main distinguishing feature of the new techno accessories, their concept, if you will, is instant access to information. Nothing should interfere with this process: all secondary and cumbersome elements will be cut off, and the software part of the web resource will be optimized as much as possible for new high requests. The task of design in this case is not to slow down the work of the gadget.
- Minimalism. The current trend of recent years will continue to triumph in the future, as this approach is best suited for portable devices with small displays. Minimalism allows the user to focus on the content rather than impress them with visuals. Calm, balanced, uncluttered design is the future of the web.
- Large text. Somewhere it decreases, and somewhere it arrives - the law of substitution. So it is with the development of sites for wearable gadgets: in design - simplification and reduction, and in the display of text - increase in size. Small letters are unreadable even on a smartphone screen if the web resource is not optimized for mobile devices. For all sorts of "smart accessories" enlargement of the text to 12 pt will be especially relevant.
- New opportunities. Navigation of wearable gadgets using voice and body movements will also contribute to the design of sites. New items will allow you to be as if inside the device. Web design will not rely only on the visual perception of users, it will become interactive and dynamic.
- Intuitive navigation. User comfort is above all, usability for techno-novelties has not been canceled. The site should anticipate the user's requests and help him in solving the task.
The total dominance of wearable gadgets has not yet arrived. There are no canons, restrictions and clear recommendations in this area yet, but it is always better to think several steps ahead in order to properly prepare for a new vector of web design development.