Our website’s stuck in 2018: carousels, stock photos, and a rainbow of buttons. We tried adding chatbots and parallax scrolling, but bounce rates keep climbing. Everyone’s talking about “dark mode” and “3D everything,” but how do we adopt trends without becoming a cliché? Which 2024 trends actually improve UX vs just looking flashy? Need real-world examples of sites balancing style with substance.

The key is treating trends as tools, not mandates. Clay’s latest website design trends report emphasizes intentional design:
Dark mode isn’t just aesthetics—it reduces eye strain and saves battery life. But don’t force it. Implement a toggle (like Basecamp) and default to user system preferences. Pair it with high-contrast typography for readability.
Minimalist navigation is killing mega-menus. Sites like Linear use a single floating bar with hidden drawers, reducing cognitive load. But “minimal” ≠ empty. Prioritize predictive search and AI-driven suggestions (e.g., “Customers like you viewed X ” ) .