2014 Predictions for Web Design

A great piece put together by Collis Ta'eed about where he sees web design moving in 2014. I agree with a lot of his points. Here are the highlights:

Moving Past Flat

Flat has a long way to go yet, and so the main changes I think we’ll see in the next year are more fun, but faddish, trends like long shadows and the like. In similar fashion I think we'll see some more depth, layering, graduations, and other visual distinctions making their way back in, but in a more refined and subtle way than the old days.

More Motion

For web and interface designers, motion will be used to differentiate the otherwise very simple flat design ethos, as well as create more engagement.

An example that springs immediately to mind was Polygon's excellent incorporation of motion in their review of the PS4 and their review of the Xbox One. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to spending a good 40 minutes first amazed, then trying to figure out how the damn thing worked.

Better Tools

Adobe’s lack of tooling over the years left a nice open gap which has seen products like SketchTypecastCodiqa and the upcoming Macaw, try to step in. I love seeing great indie products, and am extremely excited to see how Macaw goes.

Some other excellent tools I've incorporate into my workflow include Briefs for mobile wire framing and interaction planning, and WebCode which lets you draw vector and export as HTML + CSS, SVG or JavaScript. 

It's going to be an exciting year.