Internet Marketing Blog

Website Design Trends: What It Could Mean for Your Site in 2008

November 20, 2007 – 11:38 am

Can a web site designer really learn anything from upcoming trends in the world of physical product packaging? Contrary to popular belief about the two different branches of design, packaging trends and web site design trends are actually derived from the same complex combination of fashion, evolving design philosophies, shifts in cultural value, and technology.

Aside from common sources, web design and packaging design also share the same emphasis on visual appeal, need for distinguishing characteristics to prevent blending in with the competition, and reliance on the written, rather than spoken, word.

So what’s going on in packaging that the web site designer should be aware of?

Go Green

The phrase is so overused that it has gone beyond cliché; but overuse of the term should not blind smart marketers to how much environmental concerns and the desire to slow the runaway pace of pollution has impacted our culture. Packaging designers from mainstream Stonyfield to alternative cosmetics producer Cargo, are finding that reducing overall environmental impact through recycled or reduced packaging is the way to attract smart, environmentally concerned customers and distinguish products in an otherwise saturated market. When it comes to your site, capitalize on the growing concern for the environment by installing electronic bill pay systems, emphasizing the reduced environmental impact of a digital rather than brick-and-morter storefront, and using the copy-oriented culture of internet selling to explain all of the “green” initiatives your company has created.

Make it personal

If there is anything to be learned from the wild success of the Starbucks chain, aside from the fact that people will pay anything for coffee, it is that people have fallen in love again with the personal touch. They like to know where things came from, and the story behind them. In packaging, manufacturers have started devoting space for a short synopsis of the story behind a product or service right on the outside of product packages. Online, this process is made even easier because people expect to read more on a site than on the packaging of a product in a store. Take advantage of that by spinning a good background story about your website, your company, and your product offerings. Develop product descriptions that go beyond benefits and features to discuss the creation of a product, the people who invented it, and the inspiration behind it.

Whimsical

Lighthearted, fun and charming design are making a comeback in marketing. A subtle pun, amusing graphic, or metaphorical wink to the viewer helps post-modern products to stand out on a shelf of competitors, and could just be the ticket for keeping visitors at your site. Use variations on a theme for every page (perhaps puns on the mission/products your company offers), or use your whole site to tell a story. For example, some website designs will use the same character for the visual graphics on every page of the site, but put that character in different situations. Remember that the charm and draw of whimsical humor is that it is subtle and funny without being corny.

Bold

Bright colors may seem as old fashioned as Captain Crunch cereal packaging, but when incorporated into smart design in an abstract way, bright colors take on a trendy, artsy tenor. Like ginger or garlic, a little bit goes a long way and bright colors must be wisely meshed with bold messaging and fine design. However, when done right, a bit of bold could make your site seem fun and exciting in a sea of “naturally” colored sites.

Graphic Images

The generation of 18-34 year-olds has been casually labeled the ADD generation for its total inability to concentrate on anything for more than approximately 30 seconds. That might be a slight exaggeration, but the truth remains that imaging with a clear, concise illustration of product use beats out good copy on the shelf. People want to look at a product, know instantly if it is something they like, then take the time to peruse the copy for more information. This doesn’t mean that your web site should reduce its level of copy. Instead, equal consideration must be given to both imaging and copy. Make sure your images are CLEAR on what you are selling and why it is good. Then use your copy to provide additional details that sell the product and call the reader to action.

Wrapped, tied, and stamped by Hand

This trend in packaging, which emphasizes the personal touch through such details as a hand-stamped wax seals or hand-wrapped paper packages are rising in popularity. Of all packaging trends, this is the hardest for the web site designer to replicate simply because of the non-physical and digital nature of web site design. But, there are still at least two directions one could take to incorporate the trend. First, emphasize the personal touch on your site by hiring extra sales people to handle email inquiries by hand, answer customer service questions by phone, or even interact directly with customers online via sales chat. The other direction is to incorporate images of the human touch into the site. Use a digital replica of the CEO’s signature on the site and use images rather than digital or cartoon graphics wherever possible.

Minimalism: Less is More

The overarching trend in much of product design, packaging, and even digital graphics is that subtle touches and minimal composition are preferable to busy design. This is perfect for the web site designer because it reduces the need for distracting patterns in favor of a focus on the product or service being sold. Look at your pages as total work of art, with its own composition, and path for the eye. Guide the visitor’s eye the images of your product and use concise copy that treats each word as a strategic decision. Avoid, as much as possible, distracting banner ads or excessive copy, especially on index pages. If customers are interested enough to click and read more, then you can provide more details about the product.

Artistic and Free

What’s the best way to grab a market sick of pat corporate design? Break away from carefully stylized images and let loose the artistic creativity of counter-cultural design. A variety of companies, most notably Coca-Cola, have used free-flowing artistic designs to generate unique and collectible packaging. How do you replicate this on a web site? Look for trendy web designers with creative portfolios, then let them loose on your page set-ups. Let them experiment with the shapes, style, and shading of everything on your site from the tabs to the windows. Remember, though, that just as artistic design should never detract from the utility of product packaging, so artistic design on your sight should never detract from ease of use, intuitive set-up, or well laid-out navigation. Artistic design should wrap around, not manipulate, the basic structure of your web site.

So there you are. All the information you need to totally re-design your site for 2008 in a way that the you visitors will love. Or maybe you’ll just make some updates to your current site. Either way, keep in mind that your web site is just as important for packaging your company as physical boxes and bottles are for packaging physical products.