Web Design Trends: How To Decide What Works

Designers love to complain about "superficial" design trends that they don't feel have any staying power or contribute anything meaningful to the industry. But are they right? Today we're going to talk about design trends and new phenomena that get many designers pumped up, but that can also draw the ire of others who think the design industry is going down the tubes. Recommended Reading: How To Keep Your Design Skills Fresh

Are Design Trends Superficial?

I happen to think that whatever users find "trendy" or cool, even though it may be fleeting, is part of the service a designer provides. It's part of what clients are paying for. If you're offering classic, outdated solutions that nobody wants, you are only hurting your own career. Yes, it might be annoying to feel you must bend to the whims of the "masses," but if those masses are looking for something you can't give them, they aren't going to pay you. Adopting visual trends is simply a part of providing a commercial service. The only way you can really subvert a design trend is by creating one of your own, which allows you to be the thought leader and influence other designers to follow your lead instead. This is extremely difficult to do, however, and the vast majority of designers are followers rather than leaders. That may seem harsh, but it's true. You can be convinced that you're completely original and unique, yet still be a follower of overall design trends [...]