Hot Web Design Trends for 2005
Forty Media, a Phoenix-based interactive marketing firm, recently released its "2005 Web Design Forecast," which claims that sites this year will be characterized by "new ideas, new colors, new layouts, and new approaches."
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) January 8, 2005 -- If you're worried that your company's website is beginning to show its age, take note of this year's hot web design trends.
Forty Media, a Phoenix-based interactive marketing firm, recently released its "2005 Web Design Forecast," which claims that sites this year will be characterized by "new ideas, new colors, new layouts, and new approaches."
Brown is their controversial choice for Color of the Year. Despite skeptical responses from many prominent designers, the firm stands by its decision. "The Web is mainstream now," said Forty Media CEO James Archer. "It's time to get away from the grays and blues of the dot-com era."
Another surprising revelation is that Arial, a font one regarded as trite and overused, is making a comeback. Designers are looking to it as an alternative to Verdana, a font that has dominated web design for years.
According to the forecast, the most influential technology of 2005 will be Scalable Inman Flash Replacement (or "sIFR"), a method for allowing designers to represent website text in almost any font. This innovation is a great relief to web designers who have previously been restricted to the few fonts commonly available on most web users' computers.
The year will also see fresh site layouts as designers distance themselves from the "5-piece website," a heavily-used page structure consisting of a header, menu, sidebar, content area, and footer. Be on the lookout for sites that abandon many of these elements in favor of new ways to present information.
The most revolutionary changes may not even be noticed by most web surfers. Traditional methods of developing web sites are quickly becoming obsolete as more contemporary technologies such as XHTML and cascading style sheets (CSS) gain prominence.
"CSS-based design has a lower cost of ownership and greater return on investment than traditional design methods," said Archer. "The numbers are starting to come in, and they're remarkable."
Forty Media's advice for businesses wanting to redesign their site? "Don't be afraid to look different. A fresh look will strengthen your brand and make your site more memorable."
To find out more about what's hot in 2005, read the full report online at http://www.fortymedia.com/2005
Forty Media Corporation (http://www.fortymedia.com) builds interactive marketing and branding solutions for large and medium-sized companies. Founded in 2001, Forty Media has received widespread praise for its technical expertise, innovative marketing approach, and interpersonal approach to business relationships. Past clients include Mozdex, the National Parks Visitors Alliance, the Arizona Community Foundation, and Active Recognition Technologies.
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