Well, we’re half way through this year already and we’ve tried out quite a few of the latest trends (and fads) in web design for 2013. Some we like, some we loathe and some we absolutely love! Here’s a list of 5 we just had to share with you.

1. Mobile Responsive Layouts
Definitely a trend that’s here to stay, responsive web design is awesome for everyone. For clients, it means their website looks fantastic no matter what customers are viewing it on. For web designers like ourselves, the evolution into a single set of code to suit all mediums reduces time needed for each project and increases our output!

2. Vertical Navigation
Vertical navigation bars have divided the Travistio office! I personally love them when done correctly – simple, elegant styles stand out. As this trend hasn’t appealed to everyone, vertical navs haven’t flooded web pages, so they still look very distinctive when you do see them. Best used with highly stylised web pages, I find them most appealing when they feature a unique-looking textured effect.

3. One Photo Background
The trend of using one large, high quality photo as a background is still very much taking off. A great way to showcase your best work, give your entire site a complete branding and grab your audience’s attention. A great way to make your website stand out from the crowd.

4. Minimalist Metro Design
Living strictly by the ‘less is more’ design, metro web design allows users to find exactly what they are looking for quickly. Sticking to highly simplistic designs, metro gets rid of all the extra clutter that grabs viewers attention from the important content on the page.

5. Content, Content, Content
As an SEO specialist, I love this. As a viewer, I love this. Accessible, efficient, interactive. Everything a good website should be!