When the first message was sent across the Internet in 1969, a million of possibilities were instantly created. However, if the people of this time were to take out their crystal balls and look into the future, they probably would be surprised to see what their invention has become.

As quickly as the Internet does change, it is likely that we will no longer recognize it if we were to look into the future either. For this reason, it is important for those who depend on web design as a part of their business strategy to make some predictions about the future.

Changes in the way we Design

Even though we’ve just kicked off a new year, the future is definitely looking great in the world of web design. Plenty of changes and advancements are on the horizon that will prove to make everyone’s job a little easier.

Throughout the year, we will probably hear more and more about how less is ultimately more. This is probably the first thing you will want to focus on when looking at your website design. Over the past few years, this meant developing a flat design. However, this year, we can expect an entirely new concept, called material design.

Material design was born on the premise of flat design, but takes things one step further. With this design, it is the intent to create a living and breathing space for readers to enjoy. One they can utilize all of their senses for and that will challenge their imagination. This is definitely something we will begin to see more of in the coming months and years.

It’s Getting Real

Just from 2014 to 2015, the number of mobile-only internet users jumped by over 300 million users. This is a trend that isn’t expected to change any time soon. In fact, as easy as it is to be mobile in today’s world, we should probably expect this number to drastically increase over the coming years.

What does this mean for web designers? Quite a bit actually. For starters, it is critical to begin thinking on a smaller scale. Screen sizes are getting smaller because information is now being viewed on the small screens of smartphones. Because of this, information you put on your website needs to easily translate from a PC to a mobile phone and still be easy to read.

Because we are so mobile, we expect our data and information to be mobile as well. To help accommodate these types of things, developers have been quick to come up with ways to give readers access to up-to-the-second information. This has been successfully accomplished with the creation of apps that offer real-time news and sports information.

With these types of apps, web designers must rethink how they deliver some certain types of events and news stories. But, these types of changes could be very positive for businesses. For example, instead of allowing a news outlet to cover an event or business, the business itself would be able to offer real-time information to their followers. In the end, this is something that will help build trust among your fans.

These are just a few of the things we should expect to see in the way of changes to web design during 2016. However, only time will tell how many changes will actually occur this year and what trends we will be looking at in the years to come.

One thing is certain about web design; it is always evolving and changing along with the world around it. Web designers must always stay on their game if they want to ensure they are always on the winning end of the changes caused by trends related to the internet.