12 Wowzer Web Design Trends That Will See A Rise In 2017!

The new year has finally opened up, which means it's time to contemplate on your present design, also the services and the products and find out how you can infuse your brand with the latest trends. Everything from color to typography, 2017 is just oozing with new ideas and concepts that you can try out. 

With technology evolving ever so quickly, users are demanding more from their online experiences. Interactive, personal and relevant are the most popular elements from user experience perspective. Web designers face the challenge of designing a website that responds to the users.

In 2016, flat design became a norm, which is partially thanks to Google’s Material Design visual language. Cinemagraphs have had a real waking moment in 2016 by providing subtle motion to images, responsive designs have now become mandatory and progressive web apps that run offline are now the next best thing. 

Machine Learning Will Be The New Phenomenon

Department of International Trade in the UK service designer and head of design, Lily Dart foresees that in 2017 we will see a rise in machine learning in many common apps. There are startup tech companies that are gaining entry with their machine learning concepts.

A few well-known apps have been showing us the potential of machine learning, one including Spotify with its Discover Weekly feature. Thanks to that, Spotify has proven how machine learning can improve the traction of your product. There is also the thought of machine learning driving a dynamic real-time web. 

There Will Be A Resurgence Of Gradients

After disappearing for a couple of years off the radar, gradients are finally looking to make a comeback. But the look of color blurring technique has changed. Previously, there were subtle variations in the design with Apple’s iOS icons being the best example. 

The gradients we will see will be big, bold and full of color. The most popular use is a two-color gradient overlay on images. It is a great option to help you spruce up your looks or to make your bland images appear more interesting. 

If you don’t have other imagery to work with, you can use a gradient background. 

No more traditional web design

Companies are beginning to wane on using traditional web design concepts. In the old ways, the role of the design was to make the tech look good to the audience. With the emergence of experience design, the focus and reach of web design have shifted. 

By using human-centered concepts, it has frantically changed the way we view web designs. User experience has become the basis for web design now. 

There Will Be More Precision In Color Selection

The color is one of the most basic elements of a website. Colors have the ability to influence a visitor’s emotions, conversion rates and thoughts among others. However, you must have the right color mindset when going into 2017. Pantone has recently unveiled their 2017 color of the year –greenery. 

The color means to imply new beginnings, something that is fresh and new. But not every website has to be green. If you want some inspirations of color combinations, then you can try Pantone’s Color of 2017 page. 

You can even try the colors and color combinations over at Google Material Design that is very likely to trend upwards in 2017. The colors there are bright and bold. As a matter of fact, other web designs outside of Material Design are making use of bright colors. 

It does not look like it’s going away soon. You can use sites like MaterialUI and Material Design Palette to help you pick a Material Design color scheme. 

Mobile-first approach Will Continue To Dominate

Mobile-first design is the process of designing mobile (or small-screen devices) first and then moving on to desktop devices. This approach has been around for many years now, but it has finally become the top device for browsing the web. 

A handful of companies is now beginning to understand the simplicity of mobile web design. Apart from the designs and the visuals, the mobile-first concept and the restrictions that it comes with, it comes with a useful way for brands on how they can present their core content and the message that comes with it. 

Smartphones have smaller screens than that of tablets and desktops, so it limits the user’s ability to view the content, which could otherwise have been done easily at once. But because mobile devices are more popular in browsing, brands are forced to put away information which isn’t 100% necessary. 

Brands are also forced to put in additional features when the users switch up to larger-screened devices. 

There Will Be Even Better collaboration between designers and developers

With design taking a greater and more influential role in shaping business, the collaboration between designers and their fellow designers as well as their developer colleagues is getting bigger attention. The focus on collaboration has risen thanks in part to the development of the web and mobile apps these days. 

There are several tools that help in that collaboration, like the shared templates and dashboards in Webflow’s team plan and the real-time shared canvas of Figma. And it looks as if 2017 is looking to make more improvements on those platforms and add in some new options. 

From the perspective of the developer – designer collaboration, so much focus has been given to the important hand off stage. Previously, designers used to hand off massive packages of static images and specs. Now they share dynamic visualizations that have been enabled by tools like InVision, Marvel, and UXPin. 

There Will Be More SVGs

Scalable vector graphics or SVGs present web designers and developers with plenty of advantages over traditional formats such as PNG, JPG, and GIF. Some of those advantages come in the name, including scalable and vector. 

Instead of being pixel or raster-based, SVGs are composed of vectors, otherwise known as mathematical descriptions of the object’s shape. It basically means that SVGs are resolution-independent, so they will appear stunning on any device or screen for that matter. 

Other than that, SVGs are great as they do not require any HTTPS requests. If you’ve happened to run a pagespeed test on one of your sites, you will find out that those HTTPS requests can slow down your site. But you will never encounter such a problem with SVGs. 

There Will Be More Use Of Cinemagraphs

Moving pictures are now taking over the web with cinemagraphs. Cinemagraphs are still pictures with some elements of repeated movements. They have been gaining considerable notice recently and deserve all of the attention that they’re getting. 

image: cinemagraphs.com/lifestyle

Cinemagraphs can be GIFs or even videos. Both of them can result in large file sizes if they happen to be of high quality. Cinemagraph GIFs can cover over 3MB so you could try to consider video streaming instead. Fixel can give you such wonderful examples of cinemagraphs. 

2017 Will See The Start Of The End of flat design

The fire and urge that once existed in flat web design have just about run its full course. Web designers have just about burned out from applying the same basics over and over again. Because this technique is being used by virtually everyone, websites often look the same overall. 

We may be looking at a future where flat web design may become obsolete. In their place, more imaginative and unique layouts and designs will take over. 

There Will Be Videos with sound

Let’s face facts; people are more receptive to videos than images. Videos serve as a great way to introduce your company, products, and services on the fly. Having these videos available on your homepage will generate tremendous interest. You must ensure that the videos come with complete sound support. 

You can even include an option to toggle the sound on or off as not every visitor will appreciate it. If visitors want to listen to the sounds of the video, then the content has to be enticing. 

The Use Of Virtual Reality Will Increase

Virtual reality has never had such a bigger year than that of 2016 and now it can be experienced on browsers as well. It has been gaining momentum very quickly and has been seen in Samsung commercials as well. VR is on the same path as that of conversational interfaces. 

However, the user interface challenges with VR are far more robust and easier to understand than conversational interfaces. We’re expecting to see a lot more VR/AR that is going to be featured on the back of the HoloLens launch. 

There Will Be More Micro-interactions

Micro-interactions are going to be used a lot more on mobile apps and be more device-specific. The mobile-first design has been focused on layout. With the constant rise of mobile traffic and mobile web-tooling, there will be loads of opportunities to utilize the native paradigms of several devices for mobile interactions. 

Touch and gesture-related JavaScript libraries allow you to create subtle animations (such as the tweet refresh interaction on the Twitter app). These subtle animations can be used to direct attention to interactive elements–bringing a mobile-like experience to the use of hover effects on desktop screens. 

383 design principal, Karl Randay highly agrees and says that micro-interactions can be used to increase simplicity in digital experiences. This is because they are simple, single-use moments that perform a basic function. 

12 Web Design Trends That Will Take Over in 2017

Source: Red Website Design.

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6 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Video Marketing in 2017

Social media is constantly evolving. But one trend that’s here to stay is video. Consumer behavior shows increased video consumption, but if you’re doubtful about its benefits as a marketing tool, here are 6 things video can do for you in 2017:

Increase Conversions and Sales with Landing Page and Explainer Videos

One minute of video is the equivalent of 1.8 million words, according to Forrester researcher Dr. James McQuivey’s estimates.

In fact, 79% of consumers rely on a video to learn about a product, and 84% of them say they buy a product after watching a video. 

This automatically translates into a boost in conversions - 80 % to be precise. You can do a lot with just two simple kinds of videos: Explainer videos and landing page videos. 

Business explainer videos are big. 62% of businesses say they have one, and 91% of consumers have watched one. Businesses that use explainer videos have reported an increase in sales, more traffic website traffic, and reduction in the number of support calls they receive.

Reports suggest that a video on your landing page too can tremendously boost conversion. This is basically because a video increases the time spent on your page, letting your brand message sink in. Trust is built when consumers see you or your employees in landing page videos. But perhaps the most obvious reason they work well is because a lot of netizens are lazy, so they would prefer to watch than read. 

Video magic works on both desktop and mobile devices. 

Meet Increasing Video Consumption Needs

Video consumption is only going to increase. This is a no-brainer, but here are the stats to back it up: By 2019 global consumer Internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer internet traffic. Just think about that. 

When it comes to video, YouTube takes the cake. YouTube users watch more than 3 billion hours of video per month. Think with Google says that half of 18 to 34-year-old YouTube users would ditch what they’re doing to tune into a new video posted by their favorite YouTuber.

In fact, teens are apparently watching 64% less TV than adults (age 35 and older) because they want to slate in more time for online video. 

If that’s not enough to convince you, listen to this: Businesses in 2017 are planning to put their money where video is. 49% of businesses plan to use Facebook in 2017, 42% plan to use Instagram, and 58% plan to use webinars. You don’t want to be left behind. 

Get Searched with Video

An embedded video can do wonders for your Google rankings. Video accelerates your chances of appearing on the first page by 53 times. Why? Do the math. Search engines rank pages based on relevant and regularly updated content. A video is recognized as relevant, rendering your page a suitable candidate for a higher ranking.

See Some Serious ROI

According to latest 2017 statistics, 63% of businesses say they use video for marketing, and 83% of them believe it gives them a good ROI. 99% of them say that since it's working for them, they'll continue in 2017.

If you're wary of investing a large sum, remember that it doesn't have to be something extraordinary. Video content that explains a product or service well is far more effective than stunning effects or stellar quality. You can still go far with resources available on the Internet, and many Smartphones carry basic video tools. 

Make the Most of Mobile

A whopping 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobiles, and mobile video consumption increases by 100 per cent every year. With the number of smartphone users rising every year, more and more people are watching videos while they're on the subway, waiting at a cafe, taking a break from work, and even when they're watching TV! With such a growing audience, there’s no way you could possibly go wrong with video. 

Mobile is where the personal touch comes in: Viewing ads or branded content on YouTube creates a personal connection with your audience, and that means they’re more likely to watch it. 

Increase Email CTR

An email with a video link does wonders for your CTR and open rate. Here again, your email audience would appreciate brief, interesting videos so that they don’t have to read through lengthy paragraphs. It's probably not a good idea to embed JavaScript or Flash videos, however, as email clients of your recipients would probably block them.



If you’re a startup or an established business who hasn’t yet taken your video marketing strategy seriously, now’s the time to start. Tons of businesses recognize that video marketing is no longer nice-to-have but a need-to-have, so chances are that your competition is already in on the game. You can create engaging videos with a little help from corporate video production companies like Toolbox Studio who have the right blend of creativity and technical expertise. 

2017 is raring to go with video. Let’s get started! 

Bonus infographic:

Source: Socialparagon.

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The Current State of Content Marketing (infographic)

Businesses know that they need to attract customers to their websites so they can sell more goods and services online. Some of the most recent data shows that consumers in the United States spend over $808 billion per year online. If your website doesn’t convert visitors into paying customers, then you’re potentially missing out on a huge amount of money.

You have a few options when trying to bring more people to your site and convert them into customers. Content marketing, however, has become one of the most effective opportunities. With content marketing, you can improve your brand’s image, educate buyers about your products, and improve your position on search engine page results pages, or SERPs. You also get to control your marketing costs, which is nearly impossible for companies that rely on pay-per-click advertising.

Marketing professionals already know that content creation offers several advantages that can help their clients build their brands and earn more money. Review this infographic created by CopyPress to learn what marketers, business owners, and content creators think about the current state of content. It quickly becomes obvious that professionals understand that good content creation is an essential tool for improving website traffic and conversions. If you aren’t putting some of your time and money into content marketing, you’re putting your business at a disadvantage.

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70+ useful and funny Google Now voice commands [INFOGRAPHIC]

Google Now has become a big part of the Android experience and will probably be even more prominent in future updates. For that reason, it’s about time to get familiar with all the possibilities Google Now has to offer.

Before we get into all the possible commands, you should know that you can access all your recorded ‘Okay Google” voice commands in your Google account’s audio history. While you’re playing around with new voice commands, your audio history will show the new voice snippets seconds after your phone’s Google Now gave you an answer.

How to get the Okay Google commands working

Obviously, your phone can’t perform any of the commands below as long as Google Now. To turn on the ‘Okay Google’ voice detection, go to your Settings > Google > Search & Now > Voice > “Okay Google detection”. You can also access those settings from your Google Now interface. Just swipe from the left side to bring in the menu and select Settings.

Now, make sure “From the Google app” is enabled. This enables you to use voice commands from your home screen. Note that you need to use the Google Now launcher. You can also enable “Always on”, which allows you to use “Okay Google…” even when your phone screen is off. This will use more battery juice, though. So if you’re already worried about battery life, better leave that off.

Now, let’s move on to all the awesome voice commands

To give you a good overview, we took the most important and funniest Google Now voice commands and put them in a “Google Now style”- infographic.

So, go ahead, say the magic words or tap the hell out of that microphone button and try them out yourself!
Infographic courtesy of trendblog.

General Voice Commands

“Say [where is the ATM kiosk] in [Australia]?”
“Who invented [the pajama]?”
“What is the meaning of [Irfan]?”
 “Stock price of [Twitter]”
“Post to Google+ [I'll not post anything today, except cool selfies]”

Notes and Reminders Commands

“Set alarm for [11 PM]” 
“Remind me to [pay bill] at [8 AM]”

Time and Date Voice Commands

“What time is it in [Karachi]?”
“When is the sunset [in New York City]”
”What is the time zone of [Brazil]”

Communication commands

“Call [Bill]”
“Send [email] to Anna, [Subject: Transaction], [Message: Thanks, I've got the money]”
“Send [SMS] to Mike mobile, [Don’t forget to buy cookies]”

Weather commands

Say “[Weather]”
“Is it going to rain [Saturday]”
“What’s the weather in [Florida]?”

Maps & Navigation

“Show me the nearby [Bar] on map”
“Navigate to [Changai] on car”
“How far is [Chao Phraya River] from [Wat Arun]?”

Conversions and Calculations Commands

“What is the tip for [200] dollars?”
“Convert [currency / weight / length ...] to [currency / weight / length ...]”
“How much is [28] times [96]?”
“What is [15] percent of [9680]?”

Sports Commands

“How are [Grays Athletic] doing?”
“When is the next [Los Angeles Lakers] game?”
“Did [Bayern Munich] win their last game?”

Flight Information

“Flight [Jet Airways]?”
“When will [AA 125] land / depart?”

Web Browsing Commands

“Go to [Mashable]?”
“Open [Social Media Examiner]”
“Show me [TechCrunch]”

Entertainment Commands

“Listen to / play [I'm with you] by [Avril Lavigne]?”
“YouTube [The most amazing videos]?”
“Who acted in [The avengers]?”
“When was [Iron Man 3] released?”

Easter Eggs

“Okay Jarvis, …” (Instead of “Okay Google, …”)

“What’s the loneliest number?”


If you know some other useful voice commands. Please share it in the comments!

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Hobbies That Will Make You Money (infographic)

Each one of us love to spend time on things that give us personal satisfaction. This is what we call as a “hobby”. Hobbies help us to build self-esteem and relieve stress. Wouldn’t it be a great idea if you are able to generate some nice income doing the things that you love the most? Here are 6 Hobbies that are ready to give you money from your passion:

1- Photography - If you love to take photographs, be it nature, wildlife or people, you are sure to make some good bucks. The only thing you need to do is to join some communities like Shutterstock, Fotolia, iStockphoto etc where you can share your pictures with other members of the community in order to showcase your work and earn money out of it.

2- Content Writing and Online Course Selling - Digital marketing is booming and one of the main ingredients of a successful digital marketing strategy is content writing. If you are good at writing content then there will be no shortage of work for you. You can provide content for websites, businesses and individuals. You can easily earn anywhere between $5 - $10 for every 500 words of content. If you are a skilled technical writer then your earning may go up to $30 for every 500 words of content or even more.

Moreover, you can create your own courses related to marketing, cooking, threading, beauty, knitting and start selling them. Tools like Kajabi allows you to easily sell your course online.

3- Video Editing - In order to become a good video editor, try storyboarding and watch old movies. It is important to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Experienced editors try editing the story in a new context.

You can easily find a video editing job online via sites like Upwork. Else, there are numerous other opportunities like shooting for a wedding, music videos, live events, sporting events, freelance news reporting etc.

4- Public Speaking - Captivating the audience is a skill that is not found in everyone. If you are good at speaking then you can surely opt for public speaking as it can be a very lucrative hobby. As per O’Reilly, some speakers can earn upto $30,000 per hour. To become a better public speaker, you need to practice often, engage with your audience, think positively and pay attention to your body language.

5- Blogging - If you have a passion to share your thoughts then blogging can be a great option. You can easily create a blog using platforms like WordPress or Blogger and start posting your thoughts. Once, you start receiving a lot of traffic or subscribers then you can monetize your blog by placing ads like Google Adsense or through affiliate marketing. Here is a blog starting guide from Neil Patel that teaches you to generate around $381,772 from your blog each month.

Source: Poundstopocket.

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