2013 June 08 Archive - EXEIdeas – Let's Your Mind Rock

The market for mobile websites has rapidly evolved over the past several months. More than 82% of all businesses now have mobile websites of some form. With more than 40% of all Internet time now spent on mobile devices, it’s little wonder that businesses are scraping together their marketing dollars to invest in mobile web development. The year 2013 has been filled with a number of developments, but as we enter the second half of the year, a number of mobile web design trends will begin to emerge.Flat UI:The flat UI is all about usability. Through flat design, the mobile website can load faster and provide a more intuitive viewing experience. It invigorates the entire mobile web experience as well as providing a greater artistic flavor and freshness. Despite the fact that it is simple does not mean that it is ineffective. On the contrary, the flat design is easier on the eyes and allows for a greater and faster absorption of information. It uses solid colors rather than textures, shades, and gradients. Geometric design, contrasting colors, background photography, and other elements are also likely to accompany this trend. Minimalistic Design Themes:The minimalistic design theme has come into fashion for a number of reasons. It’s easier to view, and it’s also faster to load. A minimalist design is exactly the way that it sounds. It uses the bare minimum while still remaining artistically pleasing. Basic vector icons form the foundation for the buttons, and the background is typically a neutral color. The design theme is minimal in the amount of clicking required to make a purchase or to Sliding Web Panels:Despite the fact that mobile web design is moving to minimalism, the sliding webpage panels are likely to make a comeback as well. Most of these dynamic effects can now be accomplished through JavaScript/jQuery. The sliding panels provide a sleek and inviting viewing atmosphere that complements the minimalistic design themes. It is also a development from the responsive design trend of 2012.Navigation Toggle:In combination with the minimalistic we design, the mobile navigation toggle menus are also looking to be a powerful trend in the latter portion of 2013. This particular trend focuses on streamlining the viewable content on a mobile website. It keeps the page from being covered in links and allows for a cleaner and more open viewing experience. Viewers can then toggle the menu when they need it. The menu navigation itself is easily adaptable. It may be incorporated with links that slide out or push content to the side or cover over the information. Detailed Illustrations:Another trend that is developing is the incorporation of detailed illustrations. These illustrations are used to capture the mood of the site and sometimes the purpose. In some cases, they even form the background of the page. Mail Chimp led the charge on this one with the chimp mail carrier and personalization brought about through that caricature. These provide a healthy warmth and opportunity for characterization that might otherwise be missing.Infinite Scrolling:Pinterest brought infinite scrolling to new awareness, and it’s looking like a trend that will continue strong well past 2013. Through this, viewers don’t have to select another page. They can just keep scrolling and highlight the information they’re interested in. Because of this, pagination is not even something you have to worry about. The design once more focuses around simplicity. It may not work with every site, but it looks to be particularly strong for eCommerce based sites. QR Linking:QR codes have become increasingly popular, particularly as the public’s hunger for speedy data transmission has increased. A number of sites have started preparing QR codes that are specifically linked to the mobile websites. This way, visitors can go directly to the mobile site on their phones. Social Media Buttons:In addition to being smooth and sleek, social media buttons are likely to become an even more popular trend. These contribute to a minimalist approach. The buttons are generally of a flat design with icons and logos representing the social media platform. To share content, all viewers have to do is press the content. This makes content sharing and social media interaction faster than ever on social media devices. Mobile app companies are bound to make the most of this as it is also a powerful source of revenue and advertising.#ath{background:#f8f8f8;margin:0 0 40px 0;padding:10px;border:3px outset #e8e8e8;-moz-border-radius:10px;border-radius:10px;overflow:hidden;font-size:14px;}.pro{background:#FFF;float:left;margin:0 10px 0 0;padding:4px;border:2px inset #e8e8e8;}.social{float:right;}About the Author:Nikhil Jain is a graduate of MD University. He specializes in SEO and online advertising. He frequently writes on these topics as well as articles relating to the developing mobile web trends. He also works as a marketing specialist for Mobi Manage.Find Me On GooglePlus Facebook Twitter