5 WordPress Web Design Trends for December 2022

Written by

Carrie Cousins
on

December 29, 2022

Last Updated on December 23, 2022

Before 2022 comes to an end, we have one more collection of WordPress web design trends to share. Use these ideas as inspiration leading into the new year.

Here are five great trends to consider this month:

1. Rotating Animation

There’s almost no better animation style than realistic motion. Rotating animations can create a 360-degree view of a product or scene to help draw users into the design element.

The thing that sets a great animation apart from everything else is the motion itself. The right flow and speed make a huge difference in this example from Zamnesia.

Why it works: The animation for Zamnesia is beautiful because it’s slow enough to see and the alternating animation layers create a full scene that has a realistic feel.

How to use it: Use rotating animations when you need to show something from every angle. This can be a great technique for showing products.

2. Fixed Navigation Layer

Layered design elements have been trending for a while. This new twist on layers pops the main navigation menu into an element that is on top of a background video or image. Just check out this example from Allies for Every Child.

What’s different than traditional navigation is that the container isn’t full-width. It floats in the center of the screen without touching the top edge or side edges of the browser window. This can help set navigation out as more of a design element with more attention to it.

Another bonus to this design style is that the navigation can be put in a white or light box easily for optimal readability.

Why it works: Navigation sometimes becomes a wallpaper element that people ignore. This style brings it to the forefront.

How to use it: Keep the same approximate size and shape that you’d use for other navigation styles. Just pull it out of the traditional box.

3. Minimal White

Another trend that has staying power is minimalism. The next twist is a white or light everything in a minimalist design scheme. Minrims demonstrates this perfectly.

This can be an elegant and beautiful option that works for anything from portfolio websites to product sales. A white or light design also creates the opportunity for a lot of contrast with text elements that make them exceptionally easy to read and understand.

Why it works: The clean color and lines in this design trend create an organized and open canvas for users.

How to use it: Pick a white or light palette with one darker hue for emphasis. In the example above, the gray-blue phone stands out because of its color.

4. Overlapping Layers

Overlapping layers help create interest and encourage scrolling because you can see a glimpse of what’s to come on each “screen” in the design. Twilo provides a great example of this.

This design trend works best when there is ample space between layers so that everything is easy to see and read while creating the opportunity to continue scroll actions. Generally, you get panels with alternating large and small horizontal elements, so there’s always something else to see on the scroll.

Why it works: This design trend is effective because it creates a sense of depth and facilitates continued action with the design.

How to use it: Overlapping layers can work with color blocks or images to create an almost yin and yang effect between layers for a lot of visual impact.

5. Unusual Sliders

Sliders have been a part of website design projects for a while, with the primary visual being a large photo with a text element. That trend is moving to another level with more unusual slider designs that encourage that same left and right interaction but with a more dynamic look and feel.

Dopegood does that here in the design with pill-shaped monotone colors that move left and right. It’s all on a black background that removed the “square” feel that many slider designs seem to have. It’s a creative and out-of-the-box solution!

Why it works: You get the flexibility of a slider but with a more engaging design style.

How to use it: Pick a theme and go with it. Use colors or shapes that are a big part of the rest of your design to bring it all together in an interesting way.

Putting it All Together

WordPress web design trends are a fun element but don’t feel like you have to try every new trend that comes along. Pick the ones that are right for your website and brand to keep it feeling fresh and modern.

Carrie Cousins has more than 15 years of experience in media, design, and content marketing. She works in digital marketing and is also a freelance writer and designer, specializing in creating amazing experiences online for small businesses. Her work has been featured in publications such as Design Shack, Webdesigner Depot, The Next Web, and Fast Company. She’s an avid runner, which comes in handy with Australian shepherds at home.

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