It has become a bit of a cliché to comment on how rapidly the digital landscape continues to evolve, so I’ll spare you the ubiquitous commentary on how different our online world looks than it did two, five, or 10 years ago. Let’s jump straight into some of the places web design is heading in 2025, and how business owners can leverage these trends to enhance their own digital marketing efforts.
Here are several emerging web trends, and my thoughts as a web designer at a Columbus marketing company on how businesses (especially smaller ones), should respond.
AI-Enhanced Creation + Personalization
You knew we were going to talk about AI, so let’s tackle the buzzword-y topic first. For web design specifically and digital marketing more broadly, AI has quite a few potential uses, some of which are more developed than others at this point. AI is already pretty good at generating marketing copy, for example. My results experimenting with AI coding features have been more mixed, but with the enormous resources and interest focused on AI coding, improvements should be rapid.
We’re already using AI generated text, and to a lesser extent, modified or enhanced images, in many of our projects at Stand And Stretch. With careful human review and tailoring, integrating AI-generated content speeds up our workflow and gives our production team more time to spend asking higher-level questions and responding to our clients.
Moving forward, expect to see websites with more than just static content written by AI, though. AI makes it more convenient for websites to implement hyper-personalization, so that a website responds to the individual user with dynamic content.
Minimalist and Accessible Design
Simplicity and minimalism have been trending in web design for years, and as a minimalist at heart, I hope it stays that way for a long time. Of course, a minimalist design isn’t for every use case, but time and again clients and users tell me they prefer clean lines, relatively simple layouts, and more white space rather than less. Much of this preference is driven by human psychology. It’s beyond the scope of this post to do a deep dive on that here, but essentially, people find clean, simple designs to be calming and easy to understand. With proper typography and quality imagery, a simple layout also feels high-end and can increase the perceived prestige of a brand.
Today, however, minimalism is about more than visual appeal—it’s about accessibility. Ensuring that your website is easy to navigate, supports screen readers, and follows ADA-compliant guidelines will improve user experience for all visitors, including those with disabilities.
Providing a great experience for all users benefits both the user and the site operator. The DOJ released updates to the ADA last year requiring state and local governments to enhance accessibility for assistive devices. Compliance with Title II of the ADA is not compulsory for non-governmental entities, but following these best practices is a benefit to both the user and the business owner. Other standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), created by the Web Accessibility Initiative, are developed by non-profits and consortiums from around the world.
Once again, AI tools are playing a role, making it simpler and faster for designers and website owners to work together to create accessible websites or enhance the accessibility of an existing website.
Retro Design
This might seem to go against the sleek, modern minimalist design that is also trending this year, but nostalgia seems to be at a high water mark. Just look at the return of the mullet and the slew of sequels, remakes, and reboots dominating the box office. Web design is reflecting interest in the styles and ambiance of the past. Keep an eye out for retro fonts and color palettes.
Real-World Textures + 3D Animations
This can be as simple as section backgrounds created from textures like brick or paper to elaborate 3D objects that pop off the screen. Look for examples of moving 3D-rendered objects, often moving in response to user actions. 3D rendering is made easier today by (you guessed it!) new AI tools, but I also expect to see designers including textures in a scrapbook-like approach, using scanned in and digitally layered photos and other elements to create a sense of depth and reality in their digital layouts. This design can overlap with the retro trend, with a feeling of historicity and permanence.
This website showcases the product with beautiful product imagery that lends texture and reality to the site, particularly useful for tangible products like food.
Immersive and Interactive Experiences
Engagement is key to driving sales and other conversions, and site designers are increasingly using interactive elements to capture attention. For a smaller-scale site, interactivity can be as simple as micro-interactions (like small animations and hover effects). Tool-tips that show more information, often in a fun format, when a user hovers over an element are a great example of small-scale interactivity that enhances a web experience with small discoveries. Small businesses can leverage interactive elements like product visualizers, quizzes, and 3D models to enhance their online presence.
Dark Mode and High-Contrast UI
Dark mode has been trending for a few years, and in 2025, I expect to see it becoming more common. This is another trend that I personally love, and technological advances have made it easier to implement. Offering users the option to switch between light and dark modes enhances usability and provides a more comfortable browsing experience. High-contrast UI elements also improve readability and ensure that your website remains visually striking across different devices.
Mobile-First and Speed Optimization
At Stand And Stretch, we’ve been emphasizing responsive design for years, and over the past couple years, we’ve come to look at our web design projects as mobile-first. This means emphasizing fast load speed, ease of navigation, and limited scrolling for users on small devices. Factors like page speed don’t just influence how users interact with your site, they actually contribute to your SEO scores and search rankings as well, so a fast and mobile-friendly site is key to getting in front of users and retaining their interest.
Advanced Typography and Bold Visuals
Bold typography is trending, with many brands using splashy, oversized fonts to make statements and create visual impact. Dynamic typography combined with high-quality, custom imagery will help brands establish strong visual identities. Small businesses may consider investing in custom typography, or licensing a typography palette that fits their brand and voice. Tools like Google Fonts are great starting points, but for business owners ready to create a more developed branding kit, custom typography (paired with high-quality photography and other visuals) is an important component of your online marketing strategy.
Bold typography pared with simple visuals. A great example of emphasis on typography pared with otherwise minimalistic design, as well as real-world textures and 3D product images.
Seamless Integrations with E-Commerce and Social Media
As e-commerce and social media continue to drive huge amounts of revenue, seamless integrations will be key to conversions. Where relevant, websites should provide smooth connections with social media platforms, for example by allowing users to shop directly from posts and access live customer support through embedded messaging apps. Additionally, small businesses should consider frictionless checkout experiences and one-click payment options to improve conversion rates.
Local SEO and Hyper-Personalization
For small businesses, local SEO remains a top priority, and it’s near and dear to our hearts at Stand And Stretch, as a boutique marketing agency focused on SEO for small and mid-size local businesses. In 2025, hyper-personalized content that adapts to the user’s location, preferences, and previous interactions will be more common. Implementing local SEO strategies, such as structured data markup, Google My Business optimization, and geo-targeted content, will help small businesses stay competitive in their local markets.
Wrap Up: 2025 Web Design Takeaways
You can’t hop on every digital marketing bandwagon that comes along, and you don’t have to. Following core themes like making your site more accessible, integrating with the platforms where your customers spend their time, and optimizing your local SEO can keep your small business competitive. Whether you’re refreshing an existing site or building a new one, incorporating elements like AI-driven personalization, mobile-first design, and interactive experiences can make a significant impact. By focusing on user experience and embracing digital innovations, your website can become a powerful tool for growth in 2025 and beyond.
If you’re ready to improve your online presence, our team at Stand And Stretch is here to help. Let’s create a website that not only looks great but also drives real results!
Neva manages the day-to-day of the web department, takes the lead on production for web design, and helps clients develop content for new web projects. She also assists in a variety of our digital marketing and SEO services. When she’s not designing websites, she enjoys yoga, hiking, reading classic novels, and baking.
