There is only one constant in the world of web design and development and that is change. We’ve been doing this for 12+ years and have seen all sorts of design trends – good and bad.
While we welcome the chance to redesign our client’s websites, we always stress that a redesign needs to be based on more than just personal taste.
While looking around the inter webs you will likely come across a site you really love. That’s great. It’s important to be open to new ideas and different ways of presenting your brand. But, do this cautiously.
You always want to ask yourself how this new design technique helps:
  1. “Does it help to support our brand that makes communication with our audience work seamlessly?”
  2. “Does it provide a better way to deliver our message in a way that resonates with our audience?”
  3. “Is it a better way to organize our information visually that our audience would appreciate?”
  4. “Does it improve on the site’s user experience?”
  5. “Would it help to set you apart from your competition, making you a more favorable option for your audience?”
Here are some questions that should never be on this list:
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  1. Is it cool?
  2. Is it popular?
  3. Do you think it’s neat?
  4. Does the CEO think it’s neat?
Of course the look of your website matters. But, who it matters to is most important. With that in mind, take a look at some of the trends below with an eye towards your audience.
Here are some design trends we’ve been focusing on lately:
  1. Long Scrolling sites
  2. Mobile first approach (Responsive Design)
  3. Large visual headers
  4. Parallax
  5. Flat design

Long Scrolling Sites

This is a website where all content resides on one long page. You can include navigation that jumps you ahead to a certain section of that page.
A great example of this is a site we built for Planet Technologies to promote a service for their US Public Sector audience. The message was simple and did not necessitate an involved website. A simple scroll through will get the user all the information they need.
Check it out – https://www.brandedlogodesigns.com/
If you have a simple message that can easily work in this format, consider a long scrolling website.
Here is another example of a long scrolling site we’re working on. As you can see, it’s a simple message and the design uses visual cues to guide you along…

Mobile First Approach (Responsive Design)

Mobile first design means the focus starts with the mobile audience first. You plan your design around their needs first.
A good example of a site with a strong mobile audience is one we did for Visit BrandedLogoDesigns. A good deal of their content is catered to folks looking for things to do in Montgomery County, MD. The majority of these searches are coming from mobile devices.
This site uses responsive design meaning it will render properly for desktop, tablet and smartphones. And the information placed up front is definitely geared toward a mobile user.
Check it out – https://www.brandedlogodesigns.com
Take a look at your analytics and talk to your audience. Are they looking for your information primarily on their mobile devices? You might want to consider a mobile first approach.

Large Visual Headers

Sometimes you don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too many choices. Sometimes it’s better to keep things simple and rely more on design to drive conversion.
This is where large visual headers are effective. For example, we built a website for USAN, an IT Firm based in Atlanta, with a large visual header geared towards a simple promotion.
The only ask “above the fold” is to learn more about a product. Keeping things simple can often help to drive your point and improve conversions.
Also, remember that a picture paints a thousand words. Using large visual headers can help support your message without having to use a bunch of boring text.

Parallax

Parallax is a design and coding trend that is very popular right now. This is one you want to be careful with. Sometimes the effect can be a little overwhelming.
That said, it is visually compelling and can add motion to a site without using Flash or video. Parallax will give the appearance that the background is moving at a different rate than the foreground of a page.
Here is a great example showing how parallax works. Look at each layer below – the yellow things (whatever they are), the bushes, and the sky. Each layer moves at a different speed giving the illusion of perspective…

Flat Design

Flat design is one of my personal favorites. It is how it sounds, design using objects that are flat in color or appearance. It’s a minimalist approach to design.
A few years back, textures were very popular. Now, with mobile devices and responsive design, it’s harder to make these textures work well across multiple devices.
Flat design gives the feel of layers and depth, but with flatter colors, and minimalist design techniques. This way it’s much easier to make the design work on multiple devices.
Plus, flat design can be very fun. Take, for example, the design with did for online chat software provider Velaro. The colors are flat and textures are very minimal. But the site still has depth and a playfulness to it…
If you want to look modern with a consistent design across multiple devices, I would recommend trying out some flat design.

Remember to Design for Your Audience

Website design shouldn’t be a matter of what one individual thinks is cool. Your design serves a purpose. Your design supports your message, your goals, and ultimately helps your audience get what they need from you.
So, think about what they need. How could you use one of these techniques above? Would it support the needs of your audience? Design can be fun. Design can be interesting or even ground breaking. But, always make sure it supports your goals.
What are some of your favorites designs or design techniques? Let us know in the comments section below.
Article Source: Business2Community

Branded Logo Designs Reviews – Why You Need A Responsive Web Design More Than Anything Else.

As the world comes to term with the boom of the mobile devices and Tablet PC’s, the need to a mobile responsive device is ever more increasing. What responsive design does to a website is that if it is opened on a hand held device where the screen is much smaller, it automatically adjusts its size. This change of size is not felt by the user and a good user interface is activated by this. The primary reason organizations ought to create responsive design websites is to change over guests into paying clients. It is getting to be more normal for individuals to buy things by means of their cell phone. An info-graphic from Visual.ly asserts that 69 percent of tablet clients have bought something on their gadget in the most recent 30 days, and that 67 percent of guests are more inclined to buy something on a versatile benevolent site over a non-portable well disposed site.
Responsive design makes the site versatile well disposed by advancing the design, substance and illustrations to fit the screen size of any gadget. This implies the guest does not have to do any more work than is important the greater part of the substance fits on the screen without needing to zoom in or out or span here and there and then here again.
Article Submit by: http://www.brandedlogodesignsreviews.com/why-you-need-a-responsive-web-design-more-than-anything-else/
Soon after a spin out from IBM in 1991, Lexmark International, Inc. has been a lauded and recognized leader in designing, manufacturing, and supplying of laser and inkjet printers, as well as other related supplies for both the home and office markets. The company’s high-quality imaging and output technology has upheld to evolve as this age becomes more digital and connected.
Lexmark has recently unveiled a spectacular new logo and branding that represents company’s successful and constant transition to a company exceeding its hardware heritage.
Today,  Lexmark competes in key growth markets, which includes MPS, intelligent capture, healthcare content management, enterprise content management, financial process automation & enterprise search – all centered on helping its customers get connected to the company’s employees for acquiring the most applicable information that they need at this moment.
The previous logo was recognizable, specifically against the sans serif or simple logos of its competitors, HP and Epson, and even Canon. The wordmark was definitely old school. The only similarity between the old logo and the new one is the diamond shape. To some extent.
Whereas, the new icon is intended to represent a lens aperture, crafting a diamond shape in its orifice that represents the extensive solutions – a means of focus, a portal to insight. The green palette is fresh, vivacious and approachable, representing Lexmark’s focus, strength on sustainability and growth and our commitment to ensuring “customers for life.” This typeface of the new logo—Hero font— lends a modern, clean appearance and features angles that reflect the aperture, indeed. The “x” in Lexmark is intended to indicate two arrows directing towards one another to show connectedness.
The new tagline that Lexmark has embraced is, “Open the possibilities”. The tagline invites customers to get engaged with Lexmark to reveal better opportunities for success with its broader technology and solutions portfolio.

The Logo that stood the test of time: Shell 



The famous logo of shell was first introduced in the year 1904. The company who introduced this logo was earlier doing trading business of sea shells so they wanted to keep the legacy going even after the business change. The question now that can be asked is why they haven’t changed? Why the colors red and yellow? The answers to those are very simple. This being an English company originally loved to keep their tradition alive. This is why they chose the logo of a seashell. The exact reason for choosing the red and yellow is not known but we know for a fact that the trading company originally used to transport the kerosene in red colored containers.




In 1915 they started opening stations across California, USA so they had to have a fixed logo and a color scheme. Likewise with the Pecten, the real colors have been changed through the years, most strikingly in 1995 when a brilliant, crisp and extremely shopper well disposed new Shell Red and Shell Yellow were acquainted with dispatch Shell's new retail visual personality. The Shell insignia - or Pecten - stays one of the best brand images in the 21st Century.