A look back at the top trends in web development and web design that have emerged throughout 2013. From responsive web design to parallax scrolling, there were many exciting progressions in the field of web development.

1. Top Trends in Web Design
From 2013

2. A website designed for any business should be able to transform
viewers and visitors into customers. And we as a public learned this full
well in 2013. With technological advancements in hardware and a
plethora of new development innovations, many web design trends
have been doing the rounds in 2013.

3. I personally work at a software firm that specializes in web
development in New York, and I get to see firsthand how trends come
and go as client needs evolve. So here is a look back at some of the
buzzwords and successful trends that defined 2013:

4. Responsive Design
It is incorrect to refer to Responsive Web Design (RWD) as a trend
anymore. It has simply become the best solution now for crafting
digital experiences that are accessible via different devices and screen
sizes. As the number of mobile devices and varying screen sizes
continues to increase, there seems to be no better alternative.

5. Responsive Design
Responsive websites adapt easily to any device and any screen
size, irrespective of how large or how small. While responsiveness still
has its challenges, it has been the hottest trend for the year 2013. And
within this movement, it has become a trend to take a minimalist
approach while designing (for the sake of shifting web page elements).

6. Responsive Design
Since RWD is a tactic to extend a seamless experience for users, the key
has been to keep it simple with design. A single URL is being configured
for use across smart-phones, tablets and desktops. There has been a
shift in consensus to move from skeuomorphism in favor of flat design.
Web designers are also increasingly attempting to marry simplicity,
responsiveness and aesthetics in all their designs.

7. Full Screen Images and Videos
Launch pages with images right across the screen and videos spanning
entire web experiences have been a huge trend in 2013. Using full
screen imagery and videos grants the user a sense of depth and
space, while at the same time conveying a focused message. Here is an
example of a full screen video example from the site Oh Land Music.

8. Full Screen Images and Videos
Videos and images have always been one of the most effective tools in
communication. When they are laid out right in front of the viewer
there's no stopping the reach a particular site can achieve. They have
been viewed by many marketers as the most effective means for
building sites for musical acts, luxury brands, and advertising
campaigns for film and television.

9. Full Screen Images and Videos
Another trend is to use site-wide horizontal slideshows to convey a
sense of motion without actually using any video. This is also a way to
showcase the main points of a website in a centralized way.

10. Parallax Scrolling
Parallax scrolling is a creative technique that provides the illusion of
depth for videos and websites. In this technique as a user scrolls the
background and foreground images move at different speeds, resulting
in a three-dimensional effect via a two-dimensional set-up.

11. Parallax Scrolling
This effect has been used in video games to recreate 3-D effects since the 1980s.
When used properly, it adds a convincing effect of visual depth to any website.
While the design element is a staple of top-tier websites, there is no solid
technology yet to integrate this technique across devices such as tablets.
The technique has traditionally been used minimally due to the fear of visually
overwhelming a user. But it has assuredly made its way into the list of top
techniques for innovative web design in 2013.

12. Retina Support
The web has gradually transitioned to higher density displays. The reign
of the 72 dpi screen has begun to waver and higher resolution devices
are now the trend. With the release of Apple’s Retina equipped tablets
and laptops, the industry trend has been shifting more and more to
cater to dense displays.

13. Retina Support
The trend of the year has been to use responsive imaging to detect
dense displays and display corresponding images with higher
resolution. For implementation jQuery plugins need to be used.
However one disadvantage has been that there is an absence of
industry-wide standards to streamline the process of designing and
developing for retina displays. In such a scenario, it becomes the onus
of each individual web designer to ensure that that they deliver a great
user experience, regardless of the display they are using.

14. Content, Content, Content!
This has been a consistently growing trend in the web design world for
years. But this is still a dominant trend for 2013: “Content is King”.
Measures have been taken by web designers and developers to plug-in
good content, weed out the bad content and spruce up boring content.

15. Content, Content, Content!
The trend is to keep it simple and minimal. Landing pages are kept
clean and legible with crisp and relevant content. It is ensured that
minimum advertisements and marquees are running across the site, if
at all. It is also ideal that the content that is put up on the site is
visible, accessible and responsive. SEO-friendly content is continuing to
be stressed so that sites have a better chance of succeeding in today’s
post-Penguin and post-Hummingbird Google era.

16. The author is a member of the Icreon Tech team, a software solutions
and web development company in New York.