I thought it was time to bring you some of the latest on interactive design. There’s a lot going on when it comes to Social Media; brands are attempting to finalize strategies and maximize Return on Investments to acquire a strong position on emerging social networks such as Pinterest.
However, to increase conversion rates with the traffic we generate through these platforms, we need to ensure that our self-managed digital flagship is neat, modern, on-brand, tailored to different devices, and takes advantage of the latest in web design.
While being responsible for our brands’ digital media projects, we encounter a wide variety of issues that we need to tackle simultaneously. There’s the structure of the entire website, the architecture of individual sections, the design of particular recurring elements, and the overall aesthetics, content, and behavior that should perfectly represent the brand in our modern age.
While technology develops and new devices are brought to the user, creative freedom doesn’t necessarily expand, and the design job doesn’t consequently get easier, but clever solutions are at our fingertips. This article aims to explain and exemplify two of the major trends that can fuel creative discussions with your digital teams.
PARALLAX SCROLLING
Parallax scrolling is a technique wherein background images move slower or in different directions than the overlaying foreground elements. The feeling of depth that is generated from this behavior can at times be stunning, and at times annoying. We have seen the world’s biggest brands experiment with this trend. A few examples for you to discover:
http://www.manufacturedessai.it/it/
http://www.ok-studios.de/home/
http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/aj2012/
RESPONSIVE DESIGN
Responsive Design is a powerful trend that suits our users’ environment and context. We have all been bombarded with the ‘CLOUD’, which serves the user who desires data in the form of APPS and documents across multiple devices without the information being stored on each device individually.
In order to make APPS, websites, and documents easy to read, navigate and use across the variety of devices that people use today, design needs a specific approach so that layouts are tailored to the characteristics of each gadget, such as screen sizes and controls (i.e. click or touch).
Responsive design, a few examples:
http://www.designmadeingermany.de/magazin/5/
Resize your browser screen to see how the layout changes when the window gets smaller.
Responsive Design (one size fits all) is not something that is applicable to every brand or every website. The important message this trend conveys is that we need to understand that each device requires a specific approach when it comes to aesthetics, content, and behavior, while strongly taking into account the context and device of the user.
For example, mobile web browsing is taking over the desktop and as brands and designers we should anticipate these developments. The true power lies in strategizing user access points. When and how do people use a mobile device to access online content (websites, campaigns, etc.)? What is their context? And what are they looking for specifically?
Especially when it comes to mobile, the boundaries set by screen size, the context of the user, and the controls to interact with our sites require us to think of mobile-specific interfaces that allow for easy reading and quick navigation. In my opinion, this is a fantastic challenge.
Photo Credits: Olena Cherneko
