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As we proceed into 2011 a great many website design elements that were more talk than walk last year are being adopted by designers and enjoyed by website users in greater and greater numbers. Here are some of the major design protocols that will have your website looking fresh and audience savvy:

1. Changing tools of interaction
Everybody is talking mobiles in 2011. Users are quickly adopting more versatile technologies including Smartphones, iPads, netbooks and a variety of others, all designed to allow users to utilise the internet on the go. It is essential then to design sites to allow the greatest flexibility in web browsing experience for users, utilising technologies that can best present your brand on a variety of screens.

2. CSS3 & HTML 5
Designers have over relied on Macromedia Flash as an ‘entire site’ design tool and while it can look great it was often a user loser with high load times and poor index visibility (Not to mention that it is completely unsupported by the iPhone). CSS 3 & HTML 5 allow designers to utilise animations and visual dimensions natively within the website code itself producing faster, cleaner yet still dynamic visual effects for their audience.

3. A More Subtle Flash
Carrying on from point #2 above, however, is the acknowledgement that there is room still for CSS3, HTML5 and Flash! Flash has always been and may remain for sometime the king of animations. Flash is still immensely useful for explanatory graphics, animated graphics and infographics.

4. Video Embedding
Youtube now handles over 50% of all traffic searches. Online video has become so comprehensively adopted by the web using community that expectations have followed that sites will embrace not only interactivity but informativity and will contain video in some form to explain/introduce/showcase products, brands and assets in a user centred way. It is also an important SEO tool for visibility on search indexes.

5. Simpler Colour Palettes
Simplicity. Limited colour palettes (even to just two or three colours) can have remarkably favourable results for the delivery of your online message and presence. Quiet, safe, reasonable and inviting can still be matched with big, bold and basic.

6. More than just Verdana
The web is currently experiencing nothing short of a typographic explosion. The days of being restricted to Tahoma, Arial & Verdana are disappearing rapidly as underlying web technology now promises ‘fonts as services’ where 3rd party licensed fonts can be utilised within your website without the danger of the user’s browsers not properly rendering it at the other end.

7. Each Page Must Stand Alone
When SEO first became popular as everyone sought those silver bullet secrets to dominating Page #1 of Google, the concept of landing pages became an industry buzzword. Specific pages that were designed to catch, keep and persuade any landing users instantaneously (or at least within 30s). There were certain key elements that made a landing page a landing page. It has been recognised now that all pages on a website should however cover all the landing page elements otherwise... why are they on your website?

8. Massive Images
No we aren’t talking file sizes here (though with faster internet connections and smarter loading techniques file sizes are not such a big hurdle anymore)but large photographic backgrounds. High resolution, entire site covering, backdrops are an instant way to grab your audience. Appropriate background photos that work with your content rather than against it will engage your viewers on a deeper level than ever before.

9. Hidden Scripts that can Wow your users
There are a multitude of plugins (and plugins based on foundation plugins) available today that can turn a fairly dry website experience into a radically interactive and eye pleasing communication. Graphics sliders, dynamic menus, database connectors and a variety of other widgets can not only add spice to your website they can become the central base that all other elements are built around.

10. Life Streaming
Websites as living, breathing, organic entities is here as people ‘plug in’ and share themselves 24/7 with their online audience and customers. The world now shares their lives online and increased intimacy and decreased corporate veil are enlivening cyberspace as companies embrace their audience wanting to know about them, their staff and their commercial activities.

11. Custom Illustrations and Icons
There is a fast move away from generic looking icons and navigation tools on websites to the creation of brand specific iconatry. When visitors arrive you want to invite them into your world, to see the world through your eyes for the time they are there. Letting them know that you care enough about their experience to not simply emulate everyone else goes a long way to building online trust.

12. Social Media
Further from Item 11 above is the need to ‘share’ experiences that has seen the explosion in social media usage across the globe. The web is no longer limited to ‘What do I think?” but “What does everyone else think?”. Having your website accepted by ‘communities’ of users rather than individuals is the key to success. Companies without Facebook pages and Twitter accounts will simply fall behind.

13. 30 second Attention Spans
Keeping things moving and interesting without overstimulating your visitors is a key concept in modern design. Short videos, light-boxes, interactive image galleries and a variety of other techniques makes sure that your visitors are kept interested and welcome.