Web design trends

A colleague asked me to do some research on web design trends. He knows that every web designer is following what he or she believes is the hottest trends (or the trend they understand), but is there a master list of trends?  As it turns out, there isn't one master list of trends, so after looking at several documents -- and taking into accounts conversations I've had with people about web design -- I gave him the following list:

1. Creating web sites that are optimized to be indexed well by search engines (and hopefully be ranked well)
2. Designing with standards in mind -- standards should ensure that the site is available to all (including those who are sight impaired) and international users, etc.
3. The internationalization of the web -- okay...this didn't come up in any article, but the W3C is "hot" on it. (http://www.w3c.org)
4. Use cascading style sheets (CSS), XML, etc. to create more robust, yet easier to maintain web sites.
5. Content management software -- this allows the client to do the content maintenance.
6. A clean visual style (http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/current-style.cfm)
7. Creating web site that can be viewed on any Internet enabled device. (This has been mentioned at conferences I attend, but I don't think was mentioned in any of the articles I saw.)
8. Web 2.0 tools -- understanding them and possibly integrating into web sites.
9. Using the "new" tools (e.g., AJAX, flash, mashups) appropriately.

If someone asked you to list current web design trends, what would you include?  What did I miss?

If you look for articles or web pages that talk about web design trends, you'll find a lot of different stuff.  Here are some of the web pages/articles that I found interesting:

• Build for the Future: Bend, Don’t Break, http://www.digital-web.com/articles/build_for_the_future_bend_dont_break/ 
• 2006 Web Technology Trends, http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/2006_web_technology_trends.php 
• The Biggest Web Trend of 2007 Will Be... , http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/biggest_web_trend_2007.php 
• Current Trends In Web Design, http://www.ontoinfo.com/2006/09/13/current-trends-in-web-design/ 
• Web Trends 2007 for Web Developers, http://www.baekdal.com/articles/Technology/web-trends-2007/ 
• Is it time to upgrade your skills?, http://www.baekdal.com/articles/Management/upgrade-your-skills/ 
• 13 Design rules that every Web site designer should know about, http://www.builderau.com.au/webdev/sitedesign/soa/13-Design-rules-that-every-Web-site-designer-should-know-about/0,339024698,320265086,00.htm   (still good advice)
• Web Standards. Should my Business Website be Compliant?, http://evolt.org/web_standards_should_my_business_website_be_compliant 
• Current web style, http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/current-style.cfm 
• Trends in Web Design, Internet Marketing, and Internet Names, http://www.clickfire.com/viewpoints/articles/internet_trends.php

Comments

[Satya]

I want to some discuss about "Web design trends” lot of people ask what's beneficial Web design trends? In a business with help of informative website will be increase customer, and give the good benefit for business.

There I am providing a website with this web site to people know about how to good informative web design

[Christina Pikas]

I attended a CIL presentation on this -- see the speaker's notes: http://infotangle.blogsome.com/2007/04/02/information-design-for-the-new-web/

[bryan]

I think the overall architecture is most important which I guess maps to your point about usability.
There are lots of different ways to navigate through a site and picking the right one for the context is very important.
http://www.colorpixels.net

[Brian's Web Graphics]

I was surprised with number 2. I never gave thought to developing with even site impared users in mind. It may be a niche worth looking at. Thanks for providing the info

[Philip The Web Site Design Guru]

Web design is made up of some basic premises, and if you understand them you can design pages that will impress and illuminate your readers. These fourteen tips will help you create great Web designs that work with your readers and not against them. It's one thing to know how to build a Web layout, but it's something else to know the rules behind designing a layout that works. I this is the enough information about web design, if you want more just search with correct keyword.

[webstigma]

i like your post and some of the web design trends that you mention. i will try it out for my site.
thanks

[Milwaukee Web Design]

Great post.

[Greg "the McQuay Parts guy"]

Still a big fan of content management systems, especially simple ones geared toward smaller sites/companies.