Every year, we like to shake off the holiday haze with a semi-festive tradition: our annual look at the web design trends set to define the year ahead. It’s our way of starting fresh, offering both ourselves and our audience a glimpse into the design ideas we see emerging—and that inspire us. Turns out, we pretty much nailed our 2024 website design trend predictions—just saying!
So, let’s see how we’re planning to wow clients, captivate users, and keep racking up those design awards in 2025! 😎
Staying On brand
It’s always trend number one and what a coincidence it is our core value too. It is all about creating websites that fully embody a brand’s identity, values, and personality. Gone are the days of generic templates and one-size-fits-all aesthetics. Today, every element of a website—from typography and colour palettes to imagery and tone—needs to align seamlessly with the brand it represents.
Newspaper Style
The timeless appeal of print media is influencing web design in 2025. With text-heavy layouts, clean columns, and minimalist aesthetics, this trend channels the clarity and sophistication of traditional newspapers. It’s perfect for content-rich sites like blogs or digital magazines, focusing on readability and structure. Classic serif fonts, bold headlines, and ample white space bring a nostalgic feel, while modern touches keep it fresh and functional. This blend of nostalgia and innovation makes newspaper-inspired design a standout trend for the year.
Motion
Dynamic logos, animated icons, and other moving elements add depth and individuality to visual identities, making them more engaging and memorable. Motion design has become a major trend, thanks to advancements in technology that make creating animations easier than ever.
With various no-code and tools, anyone with a vision and a touch of creativity can craft stunning motion effects.
From smooth transitions to eye-catching scroll effects, it’s never been simpler to create dynamic experiences—that’s exactly why we love working with Wix Studio. We’re fully on board with this vibrant trend, and here’s just one example of a motion-packed site from our portfolio, showcasing how we bring it to life.
Scrollytelling
Scrollytelling is a digital storytelling technique that unfolds as the user scrolls through a webpage. It transforms traditional narratives into immersive, interactive experiences where each scroll reveals a new piece of the story, making it feel unique and immersive. At Olya Black Studio, we believe scrollytelling isn’t just a trend—it’s the new standard for online storytelling. It’s a technique we’ve embraced for years, crafting unique, engaging journeys that captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. Our website design project for Bandura Design is a prime example, demonstrating how scrollytelling can elevate a digital experience.
The Colour of 2025
Colours can follow trends just like design styles, but relying too heavily on them can make websites start to look the same—hardly ideal for brands striving to stand out. That said, we can’t help but find it fascinating when experts predict the next big thing in colour.
According to WGSN analysts, the defining colour of 2025 will be Future Dusk, a rich and moody hue that blends the serenity of twilight with futuristic vibes.
While trends are exciting, we believe the key is to balance them with individuality, ensuring every brand has its own unique palette that resonates beyond the moment.
AI-Surrealism
Designers have mixed feelings about artificial intelligence, but whether we like it or not, generative AI tools are here to stay. In 2025, we’ll see more and more AI-generated graphics, leading to the rise of new, unique styles. One of the most exciting is AI surrealism, which some are already calling the "future of AI art".
AI allows for fast, easy image creation, removing the need to wait for photos from clients or resort to illustrations. Of course, it’s not always the right fit, but when it works, the results can be fantastic.
The key is not to pretend that AI-generated images are real photos—passing them off as such is where things can go wrong.
With AI-driven stock libraries, it’s no longer necessary to generate everything from scratch. You can find some amazing, unique AI-generated content ready to use. Our favourite AI stock library is https://www.lummi.ai/
This brings us to the rise of surrealism. With AI, designers can create highly imaginative visuals that were either impossible or required hours of manual effort in the past. Surrealism, which blends dream-like and real elements, is becoming a go-to style in web design, especially when you want to stand out and grab attention.
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking combines layers, textures, and hand-drawn elements for a personal, authentic feel. This trend, which contrasts with minimalism, uses features like overlapping photos, vintage textures (Polaroid frames, torn edges), and hand-drawn doodles or fonts. Asymmetrical layouts and messy illustrations add uniqueness and authenticity to the design. Ideal for creative industries, event planners, lifestyle brands, and photographers, this trend evokes emotion and helps brands feel more authentic.
And here’s one of our projects that embodies this style—it’s not exactly new (we were onto it before it was cool), but hey, staying ahead of the trends is just how we do things 😉
Complex Geometric Shapes
Designers are stepping away from the traditional shapes in favour of more complex geometric shapes which don't even have a name. Popular among brands looking to stand out, these shapes are often used to guide the user’s eye, highlight key content, or simply inject a dose of creativity.
Groovy Fonts
Typography has long been a creative playground, and in 2025, curvy, wavy, and groovy fonts are taking the spotlight. These expressive and lively fonts, with their flowing, bending, and vibrating lines, bring a sense of fluidity and energy to designs where it's appropriate. They create movement and liveliness, making them perfect for adding a fun, vibrant touch to design.
And there you have it—some exciting trends to look out for in 2025. Trends come and go, but the true constant is your brand (see the number one web design trend in the list) Instead of chasing fleeting trends, the smartest move is to stay authentic to your brand, integrating trends only when they align with your brand's identity and goals.
Here’s to a creative and successful 2025 ahead 🍸
