Top 20 Web Design Trends to Keep Your Website Updated in 2025


web design trends to try in 2025 for your website

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Table of Contents

Simply incorporating trending design elements can boost engagement on your website by up to 40%.

Web design trends change faster than we can blink. What was cool last year might already feel a little outdated now. Over time, we’ve seen trends rise and fall, but in 2025, some big shifts are happening.

We’re seeing a strong focus on modern web design, user experience, with dynamic visuals and immersive interactions taking center stage. The days of overly complex designs are being replaced with sleek, minimalist layouts that don’t just look great, they perform better.

For 2025, think AI-powered tools, interactive elements, and faster, smarter websites. These 20 web design trends 2025 are the ones you’ll want to pay attention to!

In 2025, web design leans toward natural, muted tones, soft pastels, and smooth gradients, moving away from the bright neon and dark themes seen in previous years. Mocha Mousse, the Pantone Color of the Year, brings a sense of warmth and comfort, fitting well with the shift to calming and nature-inspired colour schemes.

A rich chocolate-hued visual representing Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year

Popular choices for 2025 include:

  • Terracotta
  • Olive green
  • Lavender
  • Soft Blues

Over the years, web design has transitioned from bold neon shades (2021-2022) to a strong focus on dark mode (2023) and softer, nature-driven colours (2024). In 2025, web designers emphasise balanced contrasts and gentle gradients to create a visually appealing look.

2. Bold Expressive Fonts

Typography is more than just choosing fonts; it’s about creating a visual communication about your brand to target audience. And surprisingly, the website fonts have changed significantly over the last 3-4 years.

In 2025, web design embraces bold, expressive typography to create a strong visual impact and enhance brand identity. Large, high-contrast custom fonts with unique letterforms are trending, moving away from the minimalist sans-serif styles of past years.

Bold, oversized typography making a visual impact in modern web design

Popular choices include variable fonts, retro-inspired typefaces, and high-contrast serifs, which add personality and depth to web pages. To create a visually striking design, pair bold fonts with subtle backgrounds, experiment with dynamic typography effects, and mix type styles for contrast.

3. Asymmetric Artwork

This year, web design is moving away from rigid grid layouts to asymmetric artwork to create more fluid and dynamic visual cues. Designers are moving toward hand-drawn elements, abstract compositions, and irregular layouts that add uniqueness and personality to websites.

This shift focuses on making digital spaces feel more organic and engaging rather than overly structured. To make the most of this trend, focus on asymmetry, layered compositions, and unique textures.

Web design trend using asymmetric layouts for a bold and dynamic user experience

Mixing different artistic styles, incorporating hand-drawn elements, and using fluid shapes can make a website feel more engaging, expressive, and memorable while enhancing brand identity.

4. Sustainable Web Design

Sustainability is no longer just about recycling and green energy. It is making a big impact on web design too. In 2025, sustainable web design focuses on creating websites that are faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. This involves using lightweight code, reducing large media files, and choosing energy-efficient hosting to lower the digital carbon footprint.

A few years back, web design was centred around heavy animations and high-resolution visuals in 2021 and 2022. Then came the shift to dark mode and minimalism in 2023. By 2024, businesses began considering eco-conscious design, and now in 2025, it is a standard practice.

Eco-friendly web design focusing on sustainability and reducing digital carbon footprint

What makes a website sustainable? Quick loading times, lower energy consumption, and eco-friendly hosting are the focus. Designers are prioritising simpler layouts, fewer bulky elements, and hosting powered by renewable energy. The aim is to build beautiful, high-performing user-friendly websites that are also better for the planet. Sustainability is not just a phase. It is here to stay.

5. White Space

Minimalist web design leveraging white space for clean and easy readability

Less is more, and in 2025, white space is a major trend in web design. Instead of filling landing pages with too much content, designers are choosing open, spacious layouts that make websites look modern, and clear with enhanced usability. White space, also called negative space, helps highlight important elements to maintain a seamless user experience.

This style takes inspiration from minimalist design and editorial layouts, where a clean approach allows content to shine without distractions. It gives websites a polished and professional feel.

White space is a great fit for e-commerce websites for luxury brands, tech startups, creative portfolios, and modern online stores. These sites benefit from a fresh design that keeps the focus on products, images, or key messages.

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6. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)

User experience-focused designs are a bigger priority than ever. With Google favouring websites that offer a smooth, engaging experience, businesses are focusing on designs that are intuitive, fast, and easy to navigate. A good-looking site is no longer enough, it has to be functional and user-friendly too.

To improve UI and UX, designers are simplifying navigation, using clear typography, optimising page speed, and making user interactions more seamless. Features like sticky headers, interactive design elements, and smooth animations help guide users effortlessly. Mobile-friendly layouts are also crucial since most website traffic comes from smartphones.

This shift is happening because search engines now reward sites that keep visitors engaged and reduce bounce rates. Websites that load quickly and provide a hassle-free experience rank higher.

7. Brutalist Design

Brutalist design is making a big comeback in 2025, bringing a raw, unpolished, and bold look to web design. This style focuses on strong typography, simple layouts, sharp contrasts, and unconventional structures. Instead of following the idea that websites must be smooth and polished, brutalism embraces a bold, attention-grabbing approach that feels striking and different.

Brutalist web design featuring bold typography, raw aesthetics, and minimal styling

What makes brutalist design appealing is its directness and ability to stand out. It removes unnecessary extras and creates a unique experience that feels strong and unfiltered. This style is especially popular for creative brands, modern startups, and artists who want to make a bold statement.

This trend is a noticeable shift from the softer, more minimal designs seen in previous years, where smooth gradients and delicate animations were common. Brutalism instead focuses on raw simplicity and function over decoration. While it is not for everyone, it is a great choice for brands that want their website to feel bold, and different, and leave a web presence.

8. Motion Design

Smooth animations, interactive elements, and subtle transitions have been used over the last few years to make websites feel more engaging and alive. This trend is here to stay in 2025.

Instead of static pages, sites now move, react, and guide users effortlessly and enhance user experience to make it more fun and intuitive. Using motion design that draws attention without being overwhelming can be a great way of data visualisation.

Small touches like hover effects, scrolling animations, and interactive buttons help users navigate naturally. This trend provides a competitive edge to tech brands, e-commerce sites, and non-profit organisations that want to make their websites feel modern and responsive.

9. Micro-Animations

Micro-animations are small, subtle effects that improve user experience by providing feedback, guiding movement, and making interactions feel more fluid. In 2025, they play a big role in web design, making websites feel more engaging and interactive without overwhelming users.

In the past, animations were often large and flashy, sometimes causing websites to load slowly. More recently, the focus has shifted to light, meaningful animations that improve how users interact with a site rather than just adding visual appeal.

Some common examples of these micro-interactions are buttons that respond when hovered over, loading animations that keep users engaged, progress bars, and subtle scrolling effects. Even a slight motion when switching between pages can make a site feel more polished.

Micro animations in web design to enhance user interaction and engagement

10. Dark Mode

Dark mode is no longer just a trend. It has become an essential feature for websites. Instead of bright backgrounds, it uses darker tones, making screens easier on the eyes, especially in dim lighting. People appreciate it because it reduces glare, improves readability, and gives websites a sleek and modern feel.

The popularity of dark mode is due to two reasons. For one, it makes long browsing sessions more comfortable, which is great for nighttime use. Plus, on OLED and AMOLED screens, it helps save battery life, which is a big bonus for mobile devices.

Dark mode web design offering a sleek, modern, and eye-friendly browsing experience

Major tech companies, social media platforms, and apps have embraced it, making it an expected feature rather than an extra. In 2025, offering dark mode is not just a nice touch. It is a must.

11. Organic Shapes

Web design trend using organic shapes for a fluid and natural aesthetic appeal

Rigid grids and sharp edges will be replaced with fluid, natural curves in 2025. These shapes create a more relaxed and approachable feel, making websites look modern, dynamic, and engaging. Instead of relying on perfect squares and straight lines, designers are using free-flowing forms inspired by nature to add movement and personality to web layouts.

The appeal of organic shapes lies in their ability to make websites feel more inviting and human. You can use designs like soft blobs, flowing waves, rounded edges, and asymmetrical elements. These can be seen in background images, patterns, section dividers, and call-to-action buttons.

Websites like Spotify, Dropbox, and Google have embraced organic design, using fluid shapes to create a sense of flow and visual interest.

12. Dynamic Cursor

Dynamic cursors add interactive and engaging elements to user navigation. Instead of the traditional arrow pointer, websites now use customised, animated, and reactive cursors that respond to user movements. This small detail enhances the browsing experience, making interactions feel more immersive and personalised.

Interactive web design featuring a dynamic cursor for enhanced user engagement

There are many ways to make a cursor dynamic. Websites can use cursor trails, shape-changing effects, colour shifts, hover-triggered animations, or magnetic effects that pull elements toward the cursor.

13. AI-Powered Web Projects

AI is reshaping web design in 2025 by making websites smarter, more adaptive, and highly interactive. Chatbots provide instant support, AI-driven layouts adjust in real time, and personalised content creates a memorable user experience that feels custom-built. These improvements turn static sites into dynamic, engaging platforms.

A futuristic web design interface showcasing AI-driven layout and automation in digital design trends

AI improves web design by analysing user behaviour, predicting needs, and delivering content instantly. Streaming services like Netflix use AI to suggest shows, while AI-powered design tools generate layouts and features in seconds.

To enhance AI-powered web projects, designers are adding voice search, predictive text, real-time data visuals, and AI-driven animations. These elements keep websites engaging, responsive, and ahead of the curve.

14. Handmade Illustrations

Unlike polished vector graphics or stock images, handmade custom illustrations feel organic, creative, and full of personality. Whether it’s hand-sketched icons, watercolour textures, or playful doodles, they make websites feel authentic and inviting. It’s like a handwritten note in a digital world.

A few years ago, web design projects leaned heavily on flat icons and sleek, geometric visuals. While they looked clean and professional, they sometimes felt a bit too perfect. Now, brands are embracing imperfections with natural elements that add warmth and originality.

Hand-drawn illustrations in web design for a personalised and creative user experience

Handmade artwork fits perfectly on creative portfolios, lifestyle brands, and storytelling websites. Designers are using sketched elements, hand-drawn buttons, and animated doodles to create a more playful and engaging experience.

15. Vibrant Gradients

Modern web design using vibrant gradients for an eye-catching and futuristic aesthetic

In 2025, designers are blending multiple shades to create smooth transitions and eye-catching visuals. These bold colour shifts make websites feel dynamic, modern, and visually engaging.

This trend has gained popularity because it adds depth and movement without being overwhelming. Gradients work beautifully in backgrounds, buttons, text overlays, and interactive elements. Unlike the minimal, single-tone colour schemes of the past, gradients create a sense of dimension and personality.

From tech startups and fashion brands to creative portfolios and entertainment sites, this trend is everywhere. When used strategically, gradients breathe life into digital designs, making them feel bold, fresh, and unforgettable.

16. Maximalism

A vibrant, eclectic website layout embracing bold colors, textures, and layered elements.

While minimalism is a way to go, maximalism is also a trending design option for 2025. This emerging trend is all about breaking the rules, embracing vibrant designs, and creating high-impact visual contents that grab attention instantly. Instead of keeping things simple, maximalism encourages rich textures, overlapping elements, and bold contrasts to create a visually immersive experience.

Maximalism is trending because it lets brands showcase their personality without limits. Unlike the clean, white spaces of minimalism, this style leans into big typography, colourful patterns, full-page headers and intricate layouts that demand user engagement.

It works especially well for creative agencies, fashion brands, music websites, and entertainment platforms, where standing out is key.

17. Glassmorphism

A sleek web design layout with a translucent, frosted-glass effect enhancing user interface aesthetics

Glassmorphism is a design style that uses blurred backgrounds, frosted glass effects, and subtle shadows to create a sense of depth while keeping the interface light and modern. Unlike the flat design trends of previous years, glassmorphism adds texture and layering, giving websites a more refined and interactive feel.

What sets glassmorphism apart from past trends like the flat design or neumorphism is its balance between minimalism and depth. It creates a clean and high-tech look without overwhelming users. The effect works especially well for finance apps, tech brands, portfolios, and dashboards, where a polished, professional feel is important.

To personalise glassmorphism for different businesses, designers can experiment with custom colour palettes, adding unique lighting effects, and adjusting transparency levels to match brand identity.

18. Visible Borders

In line with glassmorphism, visible borders are making a strong comeback in 2025. Instead of seamless, floating elements, designers now prefer outlined sections, clear dividers, and framed layouts to create a sense of organisation and clarity.

They help guide the user’s eye, making navigation easier and more intuitive. This style works particularly well for portfolios, editorial sites, and business websites, where content needs to be presented clearly without feeling cluttered.

Pairing borders with grid-based layouts, layered elements, or interactive hover effects makes the design feel both functional and visually engaging.

19. Retrofuturism

A retro-futuristic Y2K-themed website design featuring neon aesthetics and glitch typography

With the resurgence of Y2K culture in pop media, fashion, and music, web design is also embracing bold metallics, neon colours, pixelated fonts, and sci-fi-inspired interfaces that feel straight out of an early 2000s vision of the future. Adopting this trend also helps in digital marketing.

This trend stands out by combining the optimism of past tech-inspired aesthetics with modern design principles. Unlike traditional minimalism, retrofuturism leans into high-contrast colours, glitch effects, chrome textures, and cyberpunk elements that make websites feel bold and experimental.

However, this might not work for everyone. It is best used on music brands, gaming sites, tech startups, and fashion labels looking to create an experience that feels both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.

20. Bento Box Layouts

Inspired by traditional Japanese bento boxes, Bento Box design style arranges website elements into clean, modular sections, making information easy to digest while maintaining a balanced and modern aesthetic.

Apple M2 Max chip specifications infographic showcasing CPU, GPU, memory, and performance improvements.

The rise of bento box layouts is driven by the need for better organisation in content-heavy websites. With users consuming more information than ever, businesses are looking for ways to present data in an intuitive, user-friendly way. This trend works especially well for tech companies, e-commerce stores, portfolio sites, and dashboards, where clear structure and visual hierarchy are essential.

To personalise a bento box layout, you can add asymmetrical grids, bold typography, vibrant colours, and hover animations to create a unique brand identity. Adding subtle motion effects, interactive elements, or dynamic AI-generated content blocks makes the layout feel even more engaging while keeping everything structured and easy to navigate.

Staying updated with website design trends for 2025 is essential for creating a modern, user-friendly, and engaging website. Here’s why keeping up with the latest design styles matters during web development:

  • Improves User Experience: Trends are often based on how people interact with websites. Following them helps ensure a smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable browsing experience.
  • Keeps Your Website Visually Appealing: A site that looks outdated can turn users away. Modern design trends make your website feel fresh, relevant, and attractive.
  • Boosts Brand Credibility: A well-designed website signals that a business is professional, trustworthy, and up-to-date with industry standards.
  • Enhances Engagement and Conversions: Designs that focus on better readability, navigation, and interaction help keep website visitors on your site longer and increase conversions.
  • Optimised for Mobile and Performance: Many trends focus on faster load times, mobile-first designs, and better accessibility, improving overall performance.
  • Aligns with Search Engine Preferences: Search engines like Google prioritise fast, user-friendly, and visually engaging websites, helping with SEO and search rankings.
  • Differentiates Your Brand: Implementing the latest web design trends helps set your brand apart from competitors, making your site more memorable and engaging.

Conclusion

The world of website design continues to evolve and change for the better. In 2025, the trends indicate a focus on creative freedom, user preferences, and smart technology. With trends like AI tools, dynamic layouts, and bold typography, businesses can build websites that feel engaging, modern, and visually striking.

Whether it is maximalist designs that pop or white space that keeps a site from feeling sparse, every trend plays a role in shaping better user experiences. For marketing teams and brands, staying on top of these trends means higher engagement, better conversions, and a stronger online presence.

Staying ahead in web design requires the right expertise, and WP Creative is here to help. We specialise in web development and web design services, ensuring your website stays modern, visually appealing, and fully optimised for performance.

Our team keeps up with the latest design trends, UI/UX best practices, and cutting-edge technologies to build websites that are fast, engaging, and user-friendly. Whether you need a custom website, an eCommerce store, or a design refresh, we create solutions that align with your brand and business goals.

Let’s bring your vision to life with a website that is stylish, functional, and future-ready! Get in touch today to get started.

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Updated on: 4 March 2025 |


Nirmal Gyanwali, Director of WP Creative

Nirmal Gyanwali

With over 16 years of experience in the web industry, Nirmal has built websites for a wide variety of businesses; from mom n’ pop shops to some of Australia’s leading brands. Nirmal brings his wealth of experience in managing teams to WP Creative along with his wife, Saba.