10 digital trends for 2022
Digital Design and Development Trends
Technology is improving at an exponential pace and a flurry of new tools are available to web designers, developers and digital marketers.
Let’s take a look at a few examples…
1. Cursor animations
Not necessarily a new trend but there is no doubt that this is going to keep becoming more and more popular this year. Modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries (GSAP or WebGL for example) have allowed developers to create beautiful cursor-based animations.
Example: check out our new homepage hero!
2. The need for speed
With the internet becoming faster and content being more accessible, page load time has never been more important. The expectation now is that a website should load no more than two seconds after clicking a link. Fast load times can also contribute to better SEO. New development techniques, such as JAMstack, have been enabling websites to load almost instantly.
Example: the Healthability website which we built last year.
3. Custom loading
A loading animation is used to show the progress of page rendering. While not ideal for SEO, this technique creates an absolutely amazing frontend experience for the end-user. It is great for campaigns and fosters engagement.
Example: Take a look at the Crazy About Eggs website. How cool is this egg-laying chick?
4. Motion design
Despite the fact that motion designs do slow down the website, they are an amazing way to have videos to promote your business. And sometimes users might just need less than 20 seconds to turn into clients.
Example: ‘Take a ride with me’ website.
5. Getting ready for the metaverse
2022 will undoubtedly see corporations venture in the world of virtual reality. Designers will have to quickly get up to speed with techniques and considerations around the metaverse. With Facebook rebranding to Meta and large brands clearly shifting towards virtual reality (Nike acquiring RTFKT for example) there is a clear shift in the market that is going to have a huge impact on digital design in general.
Example: the RTFKT website.
Digital Marketing Trends
Marketing budgets have never been lower across all sectors, dropping to just 6.4% of company revenue in 2021. As a result, marketing managers are expected to get more bang for their buck. With more people’s attention online, research also suggests that digital marketing has become even more important, accounting for 72% of the total marketing budget.
1. Opportunities from SERPs features
Search engine results pages (SERPs) provide the opportunity to engage our audiences to attract more visits by increasing clickthroughs. These features are outlined by Moz, providing you with an indication of where to focus your attention.
2. The sophistication of ad optimisation
As online advertising platforms such as Facebook and Google are constantly evolving, understanding how to effectively optimise your ads across both platforms and devices has become increasingly important.
3. Video is still king on social
With more people with time to themselves, naturally, social media consumption has increased. Also with the emergence of TikTok video content has never been more important. This has caused brands to be more creative with their messaging and how they talk to consumers.
4. People connect with people
Influencers aren’t a new trend but it’s coming increasingly clear that they are incredibly important on social media. Particularly for Gen Z’s, with 27% of them indicating that following influencers is one of the main reasons why use social media, rather than specific content or their favourite brands.
5. The importance of digital storytelling
The ability to leverage persuasive digital storytelling is what sets apart the good digital marketers from the bad. Creating messaging and stories around the consumer’s needs and wants, rather than the company themselves or their products, will create a more meaningful connection to the brand. People are looking for authenticity and can see through messaging that isn’t honest or provides value.
